Night Of The Butterfly
by The Bonnie Pirate Lass
Summary: Rating May Go Up. Novialeigh Jennings was the perfect society girl - until a proposal, a map, a housefire, and two pirates change her in ways she'll never know.
1. An Unwanted Proposal

**DISCLAIMER:** Don't own it, never did. *pouts* I do own Novialeigh, though! And her mommy! And Thomas! And Jameson! I own them! I DO!!!

I am reposting this since ff.net locked my old account, "Heavily". The bastards. *cries*

  
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Novialeigh Jennings stared wistfully out the window of the carriage, her nose pressed to the glass. "Young lady, turn around this instant." hissed her mother in a soft tone. She spun around, facing the front as she was told. Being upset personally was one thing, but upsetting her mother? An _entirely_ different story to behold, and she knew it well enough.

"I wish Papa didn't go away so often." she said, more to herself than to her mother. "Novialeigh, you know he has business to attend to, stop being so selfish!" the older Jennings woman spit out at her. "Yes, mother, I suppose you're right..." she whispered, staring down at the floor of the carriage as tears of anger welled up in her eyes. "I swear, these days you've become so unlady-like, we'll never find you a suitor. Your tongue is like an awaiting snake, ready to bite the first person that walks past..." On and on she vented, about manners and the importance of standing up straight, crossing ones ankles, and only speaking when spoken to, but Novialeigh wasn't listening. She let her mind drift to thoughts of the sea, and freedom; of having the choice to live her life as she pleased.

She reminisced about the stories her father would tell her when she was young. He was a traveling merchant, and had seen much of the world as he went from place to place, country to country. The rich marketplaces of India, the warm sun of the tropics, he remembered every detail and would tell them to her as soon as he arrived home. She would snuggle close to him, closing her eyes as she deeply inhaled the smell of the ocean in his clothes. He would talk for hours to her, as though she was a dear friend, rather than his little girl, and with every word he spoke, she craved more.

_"Father, will you take me with you one day?"_ He would chuckle as she stared up at him with sparkling bottle-green eyes, the color of warm ocean waters off the coast of Spain.

_"Aye, someday… when you're older, I shall whisk you off to anywhere you please. We'll just sail off, and never return…"_ She would smile at him, kiss his cheek softly, and hurry up to bed, leaving him to weep about the life he was leading. She never sensed that her father was depressed, or that he hated his wife. Novialeigh simply trusted that someday, she **would** sail away into the sunset, with anyone.

But as the carriage pulled up to the front of her house, she realized that she was doomed to live the life of a common house pet, one to be neglected while her husband was away on business. _'No wonder my mother is so bitter… she hates for Papa to be away…'_ Her face took on a partially sour, partially humored look as she muttered to herself, "…has no one to scream at…" Her mother jerked her head quickly to the side, glaring at Novialeigh. "What was that?" she hissed. "Nothing, ma'am… my apologies…" Her mother sighed, shaking her head. "You really must learn to speak **only** when spoken to, Novialeigh."

The driver climbed down from his seat, opening the door and offering his hand to her mother, who disregarded it entirely, not bothering to even acknowledge his existence. He shrugged, helping Novialeigh down, and began carrying bags into the house. She stepped out of the carriage into the bright sunlight, shielding her eyes from the rays. Her mother marched briskly up the stairs and into the house, past the butler, without even making a verbal announcement of her appreciation. Novialeigh, however, approached the man with a smile. "Good afternoon, Jameson", she said quietly.

"'Allo, Miss Nova… would ye like a spo' a tea sent up to yo' room?" She shook her head. "No, Jameson, I'm afraid I'll most likely have to prepare for guests, or worse, more lessons…" She sighed, folding her hands in front of her. "Alrigh' then, Miss Nova, jus' ring whenever yo' ready fo' yo' bath" he replied in his thick Irish accent, and she curtsied as she headed into the library.

"Moth-" She froze as she looked up, as she saw her mother speaking with a young man of about twenty whom she knew well enough.

"Hello, Miss Jennings…" said the handsome man, standing to greet her. Novialeigh clenched her fists in the folds over her skirt. "Hello, Mr. Hawthorne… tis a pleasure" she spat out. "Novialeigh Elizabeth Jennings!" cried her mother, jumping from her seat behind the desk. Novialeigh curtsied slightly. "My apologies, Mr. Hawthorne, I'm really not myself today…" He held his hand out for hers, leading her to the extra chair besides his. "Mother…?!" Novialeigh exclaimed, the concern rising in her voice. "Novialeigh, please!" Her mother cried, sitting back in her seat. "Now… I'm glad you came looking for me, I was about to call for you…"

Novialeigh, however, was hardly paying attention to her mother. Staring out of the corner of her eye at the young man, she could hardly contain her anger. Suspicious about why he was here, she bit her bottom lip. Thomas Hawthorne, however, was trying to contain himself in another sense. The son of another very well-to-do merchant, it was only obvious he had been searching for someone he could start his own family with. Many young ladies of the town deeply coveted him, having all his fathers' worldly possessions since his death, but Novialeigh despised him, and he knew it. However, he was the type of person that couldn't take a subtle hint. He stared her up at down, grinning a self-satisfied grin, before he directed his attention to her mother.

"Now, Mrs. Jennings, please don't make this uncomfortable for her… I would hate for her to dislike me or the impending news." Nodding, Mrs. Jennings smiled, albeit falsely, her eyes looking Novialeigh over. "Yes, I suppose you're right, Thomas. Novialeigh… how should I put this… I-"

As Mrs. Jennings paused dramatically, Thomas, being impatient in his own sense, knelt down before Novialeigh. "I've been coming here more often as of late, if you haven't noticed." Novialeigh felt her face go ghostly pale, her palm, pressed tight against his, go clammy. "Indeed, I've noticed, Mr. Hawthorne…" He smiled, looking to the ground, then directing his eyes to hers. "No… please call me Thomas… Novialeigh, I've been coming here for you… I've spoken with your father, and unfortunately, he couldn't be here today, but he's given his consent for us to be wed."

Novialeigh felt her head swimming in confusion. "Marriage?" She whispered quietly against her free hand. "Aye, marriage. Please say you will, Novialeigh, for I'm _terribly_ fond of you, and I would be heartbroken if you said no." He peered up into her eyes from the floor, a pleading frown forming around his lips. She shook her head softly, at a total lose for words. "Mr. Haw- I mean, Thomas…" She looked over at her mother, terror in her eyes, but her mother only smiled encouragingly, as if to say, _'Say yes, girl, do it and get out of my house!'_

A wave of nausea washed over Novialeigh, and she clutched her stomach. "I… oh, dear…" she muttered, and went as white as a ghost. Struggling to stand up, the room began to spin, and she blindly reached out for the arm of her chair, but missed, collapsing to the floor.

  
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Groaning, the girls' eyelids slid open, revealing two deep pools of sparkling green. "Oh, dear, you gave me such a fright!" declared her mother, rising from the chair beside Novialeigh's bedside. "Not too mention Thomas, too…" Novialeigh struggled to sit upwards, but laid back down immediately, still woozy. "Well, aren't you getting up? You have a marriage proposal to answer, Novialeigh!" "Mother, won't you let me be?!" she cried out, pulling her pillow over her head. "Novialeigh, don't you start!!" exclaimed her mother, ripping the pillow from her. "Now you listen to me. There is a handsome, kind, _rich_ young man downstairs who would like to marry you, and you're acting like the spoiled brat your father has raised you to be. It's just like him to leave before this happened." Novialeigh turned over, burying her face in her arms as tears began to pour from her eyes. "Now. You will march your behind downstairs, you will accept his proposal politely, and you will stop being such a disgusting ninny." 

With that, Novialeigh's mother threw the bedroom door open, and slammed it behind her. Doing the best she could to compose herself, Novialeigh sat up shakily, drying her eyes, and heading toward her washbasin. She began wiping her face off on a small hand towel, and gave herself a long look in the mirror. "Novialeigh Jennings, you've no time to waste crying over spilt milk…" she whispered quietly to her reflection before turning on her heels and marching downstairs.

At the foot of the stairs, pacing anxiously, was Thomas. He looked up as soon as he saw her at the top of the stairs, and smiled warmly, as though all his fear had melted away as she appeared. She could hardly return his feelings, but managed a forced smile as she gripped the banister and headed downstairs slowly. "Your mother told me you've said yes…" he exclaimed with a smile, rushing up to meet her. She stopped, her foot in midair, practically choking on her fake smile. "Oh…" she whispered, her hand going to her throat. He glanced around, making sure Mrs. Jennings was no where in sight, and lowered his mouth to her ear. "I swear you won't regret it, Novialeigh, I swear it…" With that, he softly pressed his lips to her cheek, and rushed down the stairs and out the front door, closing it softly behind him. 

Disgusted, she ripped out her handkerchief, wiping her cheek compulsively. **_"AGH!"_** she shrieked, running down into the library where her mother sat at her desk.

**_"HOW DARE YOU!?_**" She shouted loudly, flinging the door open so that it slammed against the wall. "Novialeigh! What's gotte-" "NO! Don't you start…" she said, pointing her finger accusingly at her mother as she marched to the desk. Slamming her hands down, palm first, on the smooth oak surface, she spoke quietly with a deadly undertone which was a bit unwise for her, but she neither noticed nor cared. 

"How dare you tell him that I said yes?! I wanted to talk to him, to get to know him before I made a decision, but I'm guessing that wasn't good enough for you, was it!? Was having me live at home **one more month** that much of a problem to you, do you hate me that badly?! Her mother simply sucked in her breath. "Get out of my sight, you wretch, before I have you hung." Novialeigh stared at her in disbelief, her icy green eyes now turned daggers. "You make me sick, Mother," she whispered, as she stormed out of the library, slamming the door behind her in such a manner that the window panes rattled.

She began to ascend the stairs, run into her room and sob hysterically for the evening, but as her hand hit the banister, another hand gripped her shoulder softly. "Miss Nova, are ye' alrigh'?" Jameson asked, with quizzical, worrisome eyes. She shook her head, looking at the floor. "No, Jameson, I'm not alright… my mother has agreed on my behalf for me to wed Mr. Hawthorne." He inhaled sharply from surprise. "Oh, goodness, Miss Nova, that's terrible… I'm so sorry…" She shrugged her shoulders, not looking up, and he hugged her. She wept into his shirt, her whole body shaking. "Shhh, shhh, Miss Nova, it'll be alrigh'…" She shook her head, not wanting to hear anything he had to say about how nice a person Thomas might be. "No, Jameson, it won't be alright… not at all… it will never be alright, because I loathe that man, he disgusts me, and I hate this! All of it!" He smoothed her hair, pulling back from her. "Miss Nova, I've lived in this house since ye were a tiny little thing, just as high as m'knee… an' I knew tis day was comin'…" He took his fingers, raising her chin so that he could look deep into her eyes. "An' I know you… an' yer ready fo' this…" He squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.

"No, Jameson… I'm not ready for this. I hate that man more than I hate the Devil himself, and I will have no part in this." She turned quickly, ripping herself from his grip and ran up the stairs. "Miss Nova!!" he called after her, but she ignored him, instead throwing herself on the bed.

  
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There. Night of the Butterfly Chapter One, reformatted and reposted. So someone, review!!!! PLEASE!!!! *implores the people* 


	2. Different Broken Hearts For Different Re...

Chapter two! BY GEORGE I THINK I'M ON TO SOMETHING HERE!!! *dances* I should warn you, you're going to want to read my other story "Moments of Value" if you don't understand why Elizabeth is the way she is, and why she married the Commodore and all that. "Moments of Value" explains it. %_^

  
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As every day went by, the wedding (which had been in the works for quite some time before Thomas proposed) drew ever-nearer, and with each passing day, Nova drew more desperate for some sort of escape. Every waking moment was a new argument between she and the older Jennings woman, over even the smallest things, and after a while, Novialeigh just stopped arguing back. There wasn't a point in it. Her lack of authority over her own wedding pushed her farther and farther into the corners of her mind, finding solace in her depression.

A warm spring evening, Novialeigh and her cousin Elizabeth were ushered into the gardens as fast as their feet would carry them by Mrs. Jennings, who was praying that there was something Elizabeth could do to make her daughter take an interest in the fast-approaching future, even if it were a false one. She winked quickly at Elizabeth before all but locking the two out.

They walked, silently, the heels of their shoes pressing softly into the damp earth. Frustrated, Elizabeth sighed, resting a hand on her overly swollen stomach. "Nova, marriage really isn't all that bad... especially since you're to wed Thomas... he'll never be home for you to see him." She offered, trying to comfort the younger, obviously miserable girl. Novialeigh stared at her cousins stomach for a moment, quickly averting her eyes, and Elizabeth let out a short, soft laugh. "This really isn't that bad either... better than that bloody corset you're having so much fun wearing, at any rate." She said, watching Novialeigh force herself to keep walking. Indeed, it was a bit painful for her to walk, and terribly apparent to everyone else, but the comment only made Nova stand up straighter, denying her face the right to wince with ever step she took.

"Elizabeth... I... I've heard some things... around the house about you, and the Commodore, and a mystery suitor..." she said quietly, trying to not meet her cousins eyes. "Oh, please tell me it's not true, tell me you were away, tell me you were forced into your marriage, please! I can't bear it if Mother was right, if you actually chose to marry him over whomever else there was!" Elizabeth smiled a sad, bitter smile. "Nova, you'd know it if I were lying to you..."

She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at her married, pregnant, inwardly miserable cousin, because it was all she could do. "You chose him over someone else? Was Mother right about you being in love with him? The other man, I mean... Oh, for goodness sake's, Elizabeth, how could you have been so **_stupid_**!?" Elizabeth shrugged, looking to the ground. "I suppose I had love for him, if that's what you mean... maybe more than I love James, but it wasn't right... It's all about how our family name looks, nowadays, Nova... By marrying James, I've only done that much more for Father, and for you, and Aunt Anne, Uncle Benjamin... had I married Wi-" Elizabeth stopped short, catching herself before she said it aloud, and Nova's breath caught in her throat. "Had you married whom?! Elizabeth, tell me!" But Lizzie could only shake her head, continuing. "Had I married for love, Nova, I couldn't possibly begin to tell you what life would be like for he or I, for the children we may have had, or what would have happened with our reputation... can you blame me?" She took her cousins hand, and peered into her eyes. "Was I wrong for doing what I did? Making a sacrifice?" Nova couldn't return the gaze, and looked away. "I'm just surprised... ever since we were children, you've wanted the same thing... love and adventure... you find love... and you turn it away..."

'You're forgetting the adventure...' Elizabeth though bitterly, chewing on the inside of her lip thoughtfully. "If you think about it, I have love and adventure... I can go away with James most times... he hates for me to be out of his sight lately... and he really does love me, Nova..." She leaned her lips down to her cousins ear. "Even if I don't always return the sentiment."

Novialeigh looked at her cousin with wide eyes, trying to conceal her surprise. "You don't mean... you're not... do you still see him? The other suitor?" Elizabeth gasped angrily. "For **_goodness sakes_**, Novialeigh, **_no_**! What kind of... of... common street whore do you take me for?!" She spouted. "No, no, Lizzie, please! I wasn't trying to say that! I was..." She lowered her voice drastically, whispering to her. "All I was trying to say was that if I were you, I wouldn't have let him go..."

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. "I did let him go... haven't seen him in months and months, since before you came from London, actually... I miss him sometimes..." She inhaled shakily, as though she were going to cry, and looked away before Novialeigh could see her tears.

Novialeigh shook her head. "I thought I envied you, you do understand that, don't you? The perfect opporotunity, within your reach, you had it, for one moment in time... and now it's gone... No, I don't envy you... I think I pity you..." Elizabeth shrugged, obviously trying to act like everything Novialeigh had just said was having no affect on her. "I've made my bed, I'm sleeping in it..." She stared at the ground, quiet for a moment, and Novialeigh began to inwardly scold herself for saying the things she said, to Elizabeth, of all people.

But then a wide smile spread across Elizabeth's face, and she raised her head quickly, taking Nova's hand, already in hers, and pressing it to her stomach. "Novialeigh, do you feel it? Can you feel it?" Nova gasped - the baby was kicking. "Doesn't it hurt?" she whispered, staring. Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head, but suddenly, a look of misery spread itself across her face, and she shrugged, swallowing hard. "I guess this is it, then... the sum of my entire life, right here... I suppose I'm another one of James' cargo ships..." She looked at Novialeigh, her eyes full of sadness, and quickly pulled from her younger cousins hand, heading into the house as fast as her feet would carry her.

For a moment in time, Novialeigh could only watch her go, and by the time her feet began to walk after her, Elizabeth was long inside the house. "Lizzie!" she called after her, quickly turning the corner, only to fall flat on her behind.

"OOOF!" she yelped, her bottom hitting to hard tile with a thud. "Oh, Miss Nova, my apologies!!!" Jameson gushed, setting his candle aside, and helping her up. "Tha' wos entirely my fault, Miss, I'm so sorry!" She shook her heading, brushing off her skirts as she rose. "No, no, Jameson, it's quite alright..." He looked her over, making sure she was alright and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her down the hallway.

"Jameson, what on earth-!" She stopped her whispering as he spun around, eyes wide. "This came for ye a moment ago... sai' it wos urgent, Miss!" He pushed a small, brown paper parcel into her arms, and she examined it the best she could in the dark. "Did the messenger say who it was from?" He shook his head vigorously. "No, Miss... jus' tha' it wos only for yer eyes, and tha' it wos of the utmost importance..." She nodded. "Thank you, Jameson..." She gave him a grateful smile, and flew up the stairs, closing her bedroom door behind her.

"Where to put this, where to put thi-" She searched her whole room over, finally deciding to put it in the back of her wardrobe. As she closed it's door, she spun around quickly, jumping at the sound of her mother's voice. "Novialeigh, why haven't you come down? Reitiring without even saying goodnight?" She shook her head nervously. "No, I'll be right there, I had to... find something for Elizabeth!" She interjected quickly. Her mother raised a suspicious eyebrow, but let it pass. "Alright... well come on, then, you can look for it later." She stood in the doorway, waiting for Novialeigh to pass through before she closed the bedroom door and followed her daughter down the stairs.

As they entered the sitting room, both the Commodore and Thomas stood, Thomas smiling like a small child on Christmas morning as his eyes fell upon Novialeigh. He gestured to the empty chair beside him. "It's lovely to see you again... won't you sit?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes, hiding it behind her teacup, and Mrs. Jennings smiled. "Of course she will." She offered as she watched Novialeigh sit.

"As I was saying before you left, Mrs. Jennings... that is, if you'd like me to continue?" questioned the Commodore. "Yes, of course, it's always interesting to hear about your duties for the crown." The two of them, quite apparently a better match than Elizabeth and himself, sat chatting politely as Novialeigh tried to avoid Thomas' eyes, and Elizabeth fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Has there been any word on that terrible pirate captain, James? The one that was in Port Royal before we came?" He nodded, a small, sadistic smile forming in the corner of his mouth. "As a matter of fact, we've recieved word from a royal ship that circulates the Gold Coast that Captain Sparrow should be on his way to the Caribbean in anywhere from a week to a months time." Anne's hand went to her throat. "Oh my, how dreadful..." The Commodore nodded. "Indeed... of course, I plan to see to it that he gets what he is most deserving." He glanced sideways at Elizabeths face, taking note of the anger that flashed in her eyes, and set his teacup and saucer down. "Thank you once more for a wonderful dinner, Mrs. Jennings, it was lovely to see you..." He stood, bowing, and offered his arm to his bride. "Elizabeth, shall we?" She sighed quietly and rose beside him. "I believe it would be right smart of us to turn home..." She forced a smile in his direction and gave Novialeigh one last pitiful look before she said her goodbyes to everyone else and left, proudly displayed on the Commodore's arm, feeling like no more than a trophy.

Novialeigh took this as her cue to head up to bed, and she faked a yawn. "Mother, Thomas..." she regarded each of them coldly as she stood up quickly, Thomas not far behind. "Novialeigh, you have a guest, I think it'd be only appropriate for you to stay." Thomas smiled at them both, shaking his head. "No, it's quite alright, I'd much rather her be rested..." He kissed Novialeighs hand, and watched her walk away, waiting until she was out of the room to finish talking about wedding arrangements.

As soon as she was in her room, Nova remembered to lock her door before heading across to her wardrobe to retrieve the small package. She tore it open as she sat down at her desk, and pulled out the small leather book Elizabeth's father had given her own father for Christmas two years ago. She closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of it. It smelled like him, and the thought of her father was comforting. She opened the book, and began to read.

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"My dearest Novialeigh...

If you're reading this, you should know it's because I've decided to not come home this time.

I'm praying you know this has nothing to do with you at all, and I know you know I love you...

but there's been too many fights between your mother and I for me to give up what I love so much...

the freedom of being where I am now... for her one more time. I simply refuse to do it. Make sure,

for your benefit, mind you, that she does not find this journal, especially before your wedding.

Speaking of, no matter what she may try to say, I've been against the idea of you marrying Thomas

from the beginning. I trust him naught, and you'd do well to follow my lead. Keep an open eye at all 

times as far as he is concerned.

You must hate me for doing this, and I don't blame you, but know that all the love in my

heart is yours alone, mon papillion... and I know our paths will cross again, someday.

Every bit of love, from a father to his daughter,

Papa"

  
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There, well that's chapter two... I'll be writing alot more from now on, a sad attempt to clear my head... :) Laters!


	3. And Who Needs A Map, Anyway?

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews, I superly appreciate it. I'm just gonna go ahead and jump right into this chapter, no authors notes, *shocker* since it's kinda late and I want to get as much done before bed as possible. LOVES!

  
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Novialeigh sat, staring at the wall, the tears pouring down her cheeks. "Perfect..." she mumbled. "Simply perfect." She began tearing furiously through the books pages, searching for something amongst her father's sketches that would tellher where he was, where she could find him. _'He wouldn't leave me like that, he couldn't, I don't believe it for a second...'_ she thought, stopping mid-thought train as her eyes fell upon a weathered, hand drawn map, on an old parchment scroll. The only legible thing to her on the map was the large X over a small island, the rest was in what looked like... gaelic?

"Jameson!" she exclaimed, clamping her hand over her mouth as soon as the words escaped. She'd wake the entire houseif she kept yelling with every pea-brained idea that popped into her head, and she knew it. But Jameson never stayed in the servant's quaters. Unbeknownst to Mr. and Mrs. Jennings, Jameson had been leaving in the middle of the night for ages, sneaking down to a little pub in town as soon as he knew the house was asleep. Novialeigh has bumped into him once as he was coming in late one night, and the pleading look in his eyes caused her to promise to keep her secret, and she had never regretted it for a moment.

And now she knew where she could find him.

She jumped up, pulling on her cloak from the wardrobe and pushed open the shutters to her windows. Peering out among the grounds for any signs of life, she was thankful there were none, and that the moon was bright. She climbed out onto the tree growing beneath her window, stepping down from branch to branch carefully until she was close enough to the ground so that she could lower herself down, without risking any unwanted rips or stains on her dress.

Tiptoeing across the moonlight lawn to the dusty road, she knew there would be no avoiding the mud as she ran as fast as her legs - and her dress, and her corset- would allow towards the center of town. Passing the old, abandoned blacksmith shop, she peered down an alleyway, totally dark save for the lights coming from inside the most lowly pub in all of the Caribbean, save for all of Tortuga, of course.

'The Widow's Despair' was hardly a place for widows, and even more unlikely to be found inside was a public display of despair. Here dwelled the most despicable forms of life, late at night, leastways, the kind Nova's mother had warned her about in hushed whispers when she was a small child. She glanced around, making sure no one had seen her creep down the alleyway, and pushed open the pub door.

The loud shrieks of laughter from drunken whores, the crack of wooden tables and chairs being broken over heads and backs, the low mumble of chatter underneath the more obvious noise, all rushed to greet her with the smell of rotten hay, sweaty clothing, and rum, and she felt herself go dizzy for a moment, trying to figure out how she would find Jameson in this crazy place. She pressed herself to the wall, trying to remain as unseen as possible until she spotted him, his crazy, rust-colored curls pulled back to the nape of his neck.

"Jameson! Jameson, wait!" She tried to push herself through the crowds to get to him, but the brute force of drunk sailors was entirely too much, and as she dogded a swinging mug, she tripped on her dress, landing with a loud "Omph!" on her chin.

"Wot have we here, lads?!" yelled the voice of - another female? Novialeigh looked towards the voice, pushing herself off the ground, trying to dust herself off, but it wasn't any use. The woman smiled at her a genuine smile, and smirked at the three men beside her. "Look a' tha'! Pretty little thin', innit she?" Novialeighs eyes went wide as the men smiled amongst themselves. "Aww, now see wot ye damn fools have gone 'n done! She's scared! Come on, luv, this way..." She grasped Nova's arm and pulled her towards the bar. "Are ye drinkin' somethin'?" She went behind the counter, waiting patiently for Novialeigh to say something.

"No... I'm not here to drink, actually, I'm looking for someone!" she yelled as loud as she could, and the woman smiled. "Who ye lookin' for, lass? Not another one lookin' for Sparrow, hmm? Seems to be the most sought-after gent in the place!" Nova's eyes went wide. Sparrow - the pirate captain that the Commodore was talking about earlier! She gasped with surprise, but shook her head. "No! I'm looking for..."

The realization that Jameson was probably not the name he was using at the pub, for fear of someone finding out who he was, hit her like a ton of bricks, and she looked as though she might cry. "Oh, hun, wot's the matter? Tell me your name, and who it is yer lookin' fo', and I'll try my best to help ye find them, eh?" Novialeigh looked up quickly. "I'm looking for a man, about this tall-" She gestured here with her hands. "He's got curly hair, always pulled back to his neck, he's thin... he's..." She sighed, her lip quivering. But the woman smiled. "Aye, girlie, I know the man, come on... may as well be lookin' for Sparrow with as much luck as ye might be havin', but we can try, eh?" She pushed the swinging doors again, grasping Novialeigh's hand in hers and pulled her over to a dark table, all the way in the corner of the pub.

"Heav, please, I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!" The man at the table pleaded, looking at Novialeigh and the woman. "First off, mate, that's Mistress Heav to you, if you're goin' to be an impudent blister, and secondly, this fine girl came 'ere lookin' for you! All on her onesies! Now don't you feel the fool!" Heav, as the woman was called, spun on her toes, heading back to the group of men that seemed to follow her everywhere, and Novialeigh could only stare at the man, wide-eyed.

"Well, what is it then, I haven't got all night..." He wiped his hands on his breeches, pushing his mug towards the other man that at the booth, a wide-eyed, dredlocked, grinning man, smiling lewdly at Novialeigh. "Oh, come now, Will... she doesn't look so bad!" The second man offered, holding his hands out defenselessly.

The man he called Will rolled his eyes. taking back his mug, staring into the bottom of it. "We've no more rum, Jack." Jack sighed, calling back the blonde woman. "We'll be havin' two more of these, luv..." He held up his mugs to her, and she took them, smirking sarcastically at him as she pushed her way through the rowdy crowd to refill them. Nova could only stare silently - this was the infamous Jack Sparrow, the only man she'd heard anything about (save for Thomas) since she'd come to Port Royal shortly before Elizabeth's wedding. Wide-eyed, she tried to think of something to say to them, anything, when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

She spun around quickly, only to be grabbed by the shoulders firmly by a crazed Jameson. "Miss Nova, wot in bloody hell are ye doin' here?!" He gasped, staring on at her incredously. "I was looking for you!" she exclaimed, bursting into tears, throwing her arms around his waist. "Father's gone, he's left, that's what the package was, his journal!" She continued to cry, bringing confused stares from Jack and Will and a tighter hug from Jameson. "Shhh, Miss... can't go on tellin' the whole world yer business..." He peered down at her, and she brought the journal out from the folds of her skirts, holding it out for him to take. "It's the last page..." she whispered, trying to control her tears. "I can't read it, but I thought maybe... maybe you could, and then you could tell me what it says, and I could find him!" She babbled hysterically, and he took the leatherbound book from her hands.

Jack's eyebrow went up immediately, and he nudged Will with his elbow. "I'm wondering meself wot that book says..." he whispered to no one in particular, but Will heard him fine, and watched Nova and Jameson with a hawk's eye.

Jameson, flipping to the end of the book, sucked in his breath sharply as he saw the map. "Aye, Miss Nova, 'tis Gaelic... Isn't sayin' anythin' in particular... somethin' about..." He squinted, having a great need for glasses and another great need for the money to buy them. "A tiger in waitin'? Not really makin' any sense..." He closed the book, puzzled.

But Jack and Will understood it perfectly, and Jack jumped up, walking half-crooked to where the two stood. "Might I have a look at that, luv?" he said, giving Nova the most persuasive smile he could muster. Nova practically melted where she stood, and could hardly manage to nod as she handed the book to him. "Forever grateful... Nova, wos it?" She swallowed, nodding. "Y-yes... Novialeigh... Nova is fine too, I suppose... I..." she started mumbling under her breath, trying not to stare at the two chunks of onyx he had for eyes, and he chuckled until he came to the map at the end of the small book. Then he sucked in his breath slowly.

"Miss... this map... how came it by you, hmm? That is, if ye aren't offended by my prying...?" She shook her head vigorously, but bit her bottom lip just the same, not sure if she should tell him of all people. "I... err... my father sent it to me... but I'm not sure what it means... or why I'm supposed to have it..." He eyed her warily, then the map, then her once more, and Jameson protectively placed his hands on her shoulders. Shrugging him off, she took note of how Jack was eyeing her map, and inhaled slowly, shakily. "Captain Sparrow, I... tell me what you know about this map..." she said slowly. He cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "Wot is it exactly that makes you think I know something?"

Shaking, she took a step forward so that he could hear her better if she spoke quietly. She stood up on her tiptoes, hardly believing herself as she moved his dredlocked hair aside to whisper in his ear. "You've not been breathing normal since you laid eyes on it..."

It was true. Jack knew exactly what this map was, and he knew how bad he wanted it. Apparently, so did Nova. Will snorted into his mug as he took another long chug, slamming it down bitterly. But no one was paying any mind to Will in the corner, and that was perfectly alright with him. Jack eyed her suspiciously as she leaned back on her heels, and smiled guiltily. "Alright, then, luv... you think you've got it all figured out... wot could I possibly want this map for?" He dangled the book by its back cover, waving it in front of Nova's face. She watched it, her eyes going back and forth, and then she looked to him, peering into his eyes, and he was almost shocked by the conviction in her stare. "I couldn't tell you, Captain..." she said softly, and looked down. He closed the book and folded his arms over his chest, still holding tightly to it.

"I can however tell you this..." she said, raising her head slightly and taking another step towards him, all but backing him into sitting back down at his table, which he did. She leaned down, trying not too look at him to much as she whispered. "There are men in this town out to kill you, Captain Sparrow..."

He stared blankly at her for a moment, then Will, then Nova again before both he and William burst into a humored bout of laughter. She could only stand shocked, puzzled as to why they were laughing at the news. "Miss... if you haven't noticed yet... I'm Captain Jack Sparrow... there are men in ev'ry town out t'kill me!" He grinned before turning back to his friend and his rum. However, Nova was not turned away so easily.

"You still have my book!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. He turned his head slightly to the left, eyeing her up and down, a smug smile spread wide across his face. "Aye, miss, so I do. Your eye is sharper than I thought, my hat goes off to you." And this he did, holding it to his chest as he dipped his head, placing the hat back and again going back to his drink. "Mr. Sparrow, I'd like my book back!" she spouted angrily. But this time, he turned the whole way around, staring at her. "For starts, luv, it's Captain Sparrow. CAP-TAIN. And for seconds, I can't give you this here book back, not with the map still in it... my deepest apologies, you do seem like a fine young child." He said sadly, as though he were telling someone they had lost their child in a horse-and-buggy accident. He watched her reaction closely, awaiting a blunt slap across the face, but Novialeigh would not start a fight unknown to him. "For _starts_, **Captain**, the book is mine. For _seconds_, I am NOT a child." He chuckled at her. "You're as much of a child as ye appear, lass... but I'll give ye the fair chance to prove me wrong... Since neither of us is willing to let the map from our hands... and you don't know what this here map entails, and I do... and you're obviously unhappy about somethin' on the horizon, or ye wouldn't have risked comin' here o'er this said map..."

He paused, watching her face. She knew what was coming, he'd ask her to go away with him, she'd say yes, of course, and they'd sail off into the sunset. She would find her father, and she'd live happily ever after away from her mother and Thomas. She looked at him expectantly, and he smiled. "I say ye'd do well to come with me, follow this map wherever it may lead ye, lass, and never return... bloody hell, worked out just fine for me..." He took another chug from his mug, and went back to going over the map, running his finger over the lines penned carefully in black.

"And I say I'd do well enough without it..." She snatched the book from his hands quickly, ripped the map from the back, tossing it over her shoulder as she ran for the door, Jameson not far behind, leaving Will and Jack to ponder how in the hell the barmaid had gotten Will and Jameson confused in the first place. "Twister of fates, ye are, luv!" He smiled drunkenly at Mistress Heav, picking the map up from its resting place on the floor before heading upstairs to the small room he and Will had rented for the night.

  
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Anyway... ok, so I should say right now that Captain Jack Sparrow is in no way Novialeighs property, and Novialeigh is not a self-insertion bit... no way no how... lol... Cpt. Jack is happy enough belonging to dear sweet Memory Untainted. *waves at the ever so happy couple* Now, as far as self-insertion goes, I'm Mistress Heav... short for Heavily... DUUUUUUHH!!! I love stupid people. It's heartwarming really. So yeah, that was chapter three. I'm not too sure how much I like it, but it'll do for now... story is starting to pick up! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Everyone do a dance! W00t!

I'd do reviewer's notes, but unfortunately, I'm typing this up on an internetless laptop to be saved on a floppy. Reviewers, you know who you are, so give yourselves the due credit you deserve! Cheers, mates! *raises her glass in a toast*

_And when the wind hits my sails...I'm gone_

**~Bonnie Pirate Lass~**


	4. He Won't Leave A Woman Unsatisfied

Damn, I think I'm on a roll or something! I'm all taking care of the edittingness that needs to be done! YAY!

Alright, then, let's see... I don't have anything entirely too predictable planned for this chapter... don't think so, anyway, but oh well... I must apologize for my formatting in the previous chapters, I'll go back and fix each of them, but for now I'm trying to get as much written as I possibly can before we do all sorts of cleaning and organizing and such before we move. Again. *dies*

For goodness sakes, every time I watch Pirates of the Caribbean, Elizabeth and her pompous father annoy me even more than they did the time before. *muttering into a pillow* They deserve what they will get...HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA NOW YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO FIND OUT! %_^ I'm so cruel...

  
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Novialeigh and Jameson walked home in complete and utter silence, each of them together thinking of why on earth Jack Sparrow had wanted her map. She didn't regret giving it to him, not totally anyway, since she doubted it was a map to where her father was residing anway, if Captain Sparrow had been so adamant about keeping it.

"Jameson, why do you think he wanted that map so badly, anyway?" She asked thoughtfully, staring at the ripped remainder of the page the map had been on. she ran her fingers over the torn parchment. "No' a clue, Miss Nova, I've heard ye can't really e'er be too sure with tha' Sparrow fellow..." She nodded slowly. "Aye, Commodore has said the same thing some twelve hundred times..." She kicked at a small rock that lay in her way, watching it bounce off to the side of the road. "Do you plan to tell the Commodore that we've seen him this evening? Should we even mention you were out?" He shook his head. "No' really my business, who comes t'Port Royal, tha' would be the Commodore's job... and between ye an' I, Miss, if they were t'find out I were out tonight, I can't be sure I'd be permitted t'stay here in Port Royal..."

"Maybe I should have gone with him..." she thought out loud, and he chuckled. "Miss Nova, ye'd do well to remember: You're set t'marry Mr. Hawthorne a week from t'morrows morn... Can't be gallivantin' off wit' pirates and all that..." She looked to the ground sadly. "Aye... I know... my poor head's been so used to trying to think of someway out of this mess Mother's landed me into, I didn't see my only chance in front of me..." He shook his head. "No, Miss... you canno' be lookin' at it like yer bein' forced into it... you've go' ta make yerself believe it's somethin' you'd be wantin' otherwise... tha' way, you won't miss what you had befo' so much..." Meeting her eyes briefly, he gave her a look of deep understanding as to the predicament she had been pushed into, and she gave him a sincere smile.

"I don't think it's really that simple, Jameson... I'd never have wanted to marry Thomas... not ever..." she said quietly. 'I wonder if Captain Sparrow has ever married...' she wondered to herself, but her train of thought was interrupted by the middle-aged Irishman. "I know, MIss... I dun' really like t'man myself... ye should see t'way he acts when yer no' around... quite tha impatient bloke, I say..." She glanced sideways at him. "Is that all?" she inquired. "I'd like to think I at least have a right to know what he's really like, do you disagree?" He looked up, shaking his head. "No' one bit, Miss... but I fear if I tell ye, you'll be back off to tha' pub and on the next boat out o'Port Royal with that' Sparrow." Unconciously clenching her fists, she tried to calm herself. "Jameson, if he's really that bad, should I be marrying him in the first place?!" He looked at her sadly. "No, ye shouldn't... curse yer father fo' leavin' when he did... He wos dead-set against this marriage, I 'ope you know..." She smiled knowingly. "Aye, I've been informed... how is it you would know?" She raised an eyebrow innocently.

"Oh, I 'ave my ways, Miss... must be lookin' out for ye, y'know..." he smiled down at her, and turned then turned his head up to the sky, looking at where the moon should be. "Is i' supposed t'be gettin' darker, Miss?" She looked up, the sky as black as onyx, making her think of Jack, but the thought was quickly washed away the question Jameson had asked, her eyes flashing with worry. "I don't... think so..." She had cut herself off, smelling the air. "Goodness, what is that?!" She asked, the overwhelming smell of burning timber filling her nose. He shook his head, telling her he didn't know, and looked around for any signs of smoke.

"Jameson, is that smoke supposed to be that high...?!" She asked worriedly, pointing to a huge smoke cloud off in the distance. He squinted at it. "Miss, I can't see any smoke..." She sighed, pointing again. "It's right there, I don't know how-" She **was** talking... until a tortured scream pierced the quiet of night. Nova, startled, looked up to Jameson before they both took off running down the road. They didn't need to run far, they smelled it, the smoke billowing hatefully from the building. Fire.

Stopping at the edge of the brick wall surrounding their home, each poked their head around and gasped in horror. The beautiful two-story house, finished hardly over a year ago, was burning. Novialeigh's mother clung to a servants arm, shrieking at the top of her lungs, sobbing hysterically. "NOVIALEIGH!!! NOVA!!!" She cried, trying as she might to run back into the house, only to be held back and comforted by tearful household help.

"Dear God... she's thinks I'm still in there..." Nova whispered, digging her nails into the jagged bricks of the wall. She took a step forward, as though she would reveal herself, but jumped back quickly, crossing herself as earnestly as she could. "Oh, God, Jameson... I left my candles burning... in my room... Oh, no..." Crying, she sunk to the ground, not caring if the mud soaked through the bottom of her skirts. In that house was everything her father had ever held dear, everything she had ever held dear, all of her belongings from England. If someone had been left behind in the house, it would be her fault.

She leaned her head back against the cold wall, closing her eyes, crying as she listened to the almost manical screams of her mother, and prayed no one was inside, that they had all gotten out alright. Poking her head around, she could hardly see anyone through her tears, which only frustrated her more. "Jameson...?" she whispered, turning around where she sat, looking up where he had stood - but now, he was gone. She span around furiously once more, looking out across the yard, and there he was, trying to calm Novialeigh's mother. He gave Nova one quick look before he helped Mrs. Jennings to a spot on the lawn, and Nova wondered why she hesitated to join her mother's side.

She didn't have to wonder. She knew it on the inside. _'Stand up, Nova... this instant, stand up.'_ she thought to herself, and she did just that, straightening her skirts as she held in the rest of her tears. She stood herself up straight and glanced back at her mother one last time as everything she had to do became quite clear.

"Goodbye, Mother..." she whispered to no one but herself as she collected her father's book and disappeared into the darkness, heading back towards town.

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Jack had long since fallen asleep, snoring loudly, and Will could only stare at the ceiling, unable to reach a relaxing state of slumber. The pub below them was much quieter now, full of unconcious victims of the pub's brawls, or those too drunk to move otherwise. Turning over and over again fitfully on the uncomfortable straw mattress, Will sighed angrily, sitting straight up where he lay, and began dressing. A walk was in order.

Quickly, he pulled on his boots and hat, the only things he had taken off, and bustled out the door, not caring who he disturbed as he trampled down the stairs. He waved off the barmaid as she began to ask him where he was going, and marched out into the cool evening.

He headed towards the blacksmith shop, long since deserted. He had left with no notice to Master Brown, simply taking all of the swords he had made, and left. There hadn't been much time to explain things to anyone. "Not after the stunt Elizabeth pulled, anyway..." he muttered angrily to himself, nearing the door of the only home he had known in Port Royal. 

"Excuse me...?" came Novialeigh's quiet voice from the end of the alley as he stumbled past her, jumping at the sound of her voice. "You again!" he cried out angrily, giving her a nasty stare. She shrank backwards, stepping away from him, but he only followed, enjoying the look of fear on her face. "You're following me, aren't you?" he smirked, and she shook her head frightfully. "No, no, I promise! I'm looking for Captain Sparrow... is he with you?" she said quietly. The last thing she needed was someone figuring out that Jack was indeed in Port Royal, he'd be hung faster than she could snap her fingers.

"No, he's not with me, and I don't think he's quite interested in seeing you... so good night, Miss." He tipped his hat to her, bowing, a sarcastic grin spread across his lips, and he turned back to the door. "No, please! I'm begging you, sir, tell me where I can find him!" She lunged forward, clinging to his arm. Kneeling before him, she took his one hand in both of hers, pleading with him through her eyes, and he looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise. "What? What is it?" she asked, now afraid he would slap her, and she let his hand go, standing up quickly. He shook his head. "Nothing..." he mumbled gruffly. "You look like someone I knew once..." She could only stand there, not sure what she should say as he circled her, staring her up and down. "At any rate..." he said, shaking the vision from his head, the kind, soft Will disappearing back inside of him, and the angry, bitter Will now showing himself.

"Miss, what's so urgent about you seeing the good Captain anyway?" She watched his face, wide-eyed and fearful as she spoke. "Sir, I want to come with him... I want to find out what's on the map, he did offer, I'm almost positive you heard him, as well..." she said meekly, and he gave her a humored laugh. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into by saying that... besides, you turned him down, Jack Sparrow never offers anything twice." But I need to go with him! I don't have anywhere else to go, sir!" He rolled his eyes impatiently. "Stop calling me sir. My name is William Turner. You may call me by such." She nodded quickly. "Aye, Mr. Turner... like I said, I have nowhere else to go, my father's left me, and next week, I'm set to marry, and I've set my house on fire this evening, I can't go back home, they think I'm dead right now!" She pleaded with him, and he raised his eyebrow at the babble she was spewing. "Miss..."

"Novialeigh... Nova... for short, anyway, or Miss Jennings, it's no ma-" "Miss Jennings." He cut her off, giving her a quick glare, and she immediately stopped talking. "If you insist upon it, I shall take you to Captain Sparrow. However-"He raised a hand to her as she began to thank him, grinning from ear to ear. "However... I'm speaking from the place of someone who knows... if you're doing this to simply find your father, or simply to get out of a marriage, I suggest you turn home now. A pirate ship is no place for a... young lady... of your age or stature." He smirked as he said young lady, purposely calling her a child, but she opted to take no note of it, only nodding.

"Now... you're going to come with me, Miss Jennings, and when Jack tells you to run on home, I suggest you do so. He's not the type to take kindly to those who've woken him." Briskly marching past her back down to the tavern, Nova had to quickly gather her skirts and her wits and follow him, stepping around small puddles, not wishing to get the rest of her clothing wet. "Oh, look a' tha'!" exlaimed Heav as the two entered the pub. Novialeigh gave her a nervous smile and followed Will up the creaking wooden stairs.

He knocked before entering, why, Nova didn't know, it was supposed to be his room too, but she didn't ask any questions of him. "Jack, are you decent?" he poked his head inside, giving the sleeping pirate a quick glance-over before allowing Novialeigh to enter. "Oye, I'm as decent as I ever was..." he muttered, sitting up in bed without opening his eyes. She tried not to giggle at the sight of him, his kohl smeared around his eyes as though he had been clawing furiously at his eyeballs with closed fists. His dredlocks were messier than usual, shirt half-off, and... _'Is that drool...?'_ she thought to herself.

"Jack, do compose yourself, we have a lady visitor." Will spat out sourly, removing his hat and cloak and setting them in his designated corner of the room. At the word 'lady', Jacks eyes popped open, but his look of surprise deflated as he realized it was Novialeigh. "Oh... it's you..." he spoke under his breath, and she stared at him, humored. "Aye, tis me."

"Well, I'm of the assumption that you'll be wanting your map back, Miss... Norah, wos it?" She shook her head. "My name is Nova, and no, that is not why I'm here." Her voice took on a sudden change of tone, now she spoke as though she here making a deal with a prominent business partner, rather than a criminal, and a pirate at that. "Oh, really then?" he asked. "Now, then, Nova, what has you brought back here so fast? Couldn't have been Will's debonair charm all the ladies 'round these parts talk of..." He smirked at Will, who made a rude gesture with his hand towards Jack and went back to the thin pile of parchment scrolls before him on the floor. Chuckling, Jack looked back up to Novialeigh expectantly. "so wot wos it then, that brought you here? I'm assuming this is of serious importance..." He gave her a funny look. "You aren't some sort of snoop, are you? A watchdog of some sort?" Again, she shook her head. "No... Mr. Sp-" She caught an eyeful of the look he gave her at the word "Mister", and changed her sentance quickly.

"Captain Sparrow, I..." Fidgeting where she stood, she blushed, feeling terribly foolish. "I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have come back... please, forget I was ever here... enjoy the map..." She curtsied quickly, then spun on her heels, heading for the door. "Oh, no, luv, not so fast..." He jumped up, closing the door on her as she opened it, and she swallowed hard, now terribly of the situation she had gotten herself into. "No blaming this one on Mother, hmm, Novialeigh?" She muttered to herself. "Oh, dearest little strumpet, please keep all your negative comments to yourself, or wait til I'm out of earshot... I do hate being degraded..." He gave her a roguish smile and put an arm around her shoulders, causing her to jump quickly. "Oh... right... you're one of those high class society girls, I'm assumin'." She watched him with a fearful eye, and did a short side-step to put some distance between them. He sighed heavily. "Will never understand you spoiled rich girls... I say, if your body is tellin' you to do something, you should, my body's never steered me wrong in that sense." He pondered upon that for a moment, and a deep blush rose to her face, not being accustomed to hearing such talk.

Will glanced up from the papers on the floor - Novialeigh now saw that they were maps, but quickly looked away before making eye contact - and smirked at the sight of Nova's reddened cheeks. "Miss Jennings, if you're interested in joining the Captain and myself on a **pirate** ship, I suggest you lose all inward modesty now, it will get you nowhere, unless you count hiding in the brig the entire time someplace..." Jack looked at Will, then to Nova, then to Will, then to Nova again. "Exactly how much did I miss before you two decided to wake me up?" Novialeigh looked at him with wide-eyes, praying that Will would finish asking Jack for her, but she had no such luck. Will was again nose-deep in the maps.

"He... and I... I would... rather..." she stumbled on her words, practically shaking. "Yes, yes, luv, I have an early meeting with the horizon, I'd like to go back to sleep." She nodded, and breathed in slowly. "I would like..." she spoke slowly, taking a pause between each word. "...to join you... on your ship..." Almost embarrassed, she had to look away from Jack's eyes, which were sparkling mischieviously. "You're meaning you thought that since I offered before, I would be alright with it now... since, between running out of the pub and coming back, you changed your mind, am I correct?" She nodded slowly. "Well, my most sincere apologies, Miss, but the changing of the minds thing was quite the mind changer for _me_. So if you will excuse me, have a lovely evening, there is the door. My name is Captain Jack Sparrow, and I bid you adieu. Goodnight." He bowed deeply, and Novialeigh looked away quickly so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes when he stood back up, but he smiled, catching sight of them. "Oh, no, Miss, too late for looking away. None of that crying business, anyway. Does me no good." She inhaled shakily, forcing a smile as she dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief she always kept up her sleeve, and her stared at her blankly, not used to the feminine display. "Captain... sir... please. Don't make me turn back home..." She told him the same solemn tale, of her inconsiderate, austere mother, and the too fast approaching wedding to Thomas, the now permanent absence of her father, and how she had set her house on fire on her way to the pub earlier on that evening.

Jack, with the best intentions - most of the time, anyway - tried desperately to listen to the sobbing girl, but it was really no use. He sat nodding dully, having lost interest at the first word she spoke. "So you're trying to tell me, lass, that you'd like to sail away into the sunset... err... sunrise... with a pirate crew full of some of the most horrid, black hearted, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, devilish, scoundrel...ish... men to ever walk this work? Miss... no offense to you... but are you sure you weren't drinking none of late?" He cocked his head to the side, peering into her eyes quizzically. She shook her head. "I've never had a single drop, Captain, not one in my entire life." He gave her a look of confusion. "You, my fair lady, know naught of what you've been missin'..." She gazed at him, her eyes shining impatiently, and he realized he had been getting of subject.

"well, I've never been one to leave an expectin' woman unsatisfied. So fine. You shall have your wish. We sail at dawn." She nodded to him. "But in return for your passage to this... little island you're so desperate to see, you'll be working on that fine ship of mine. And no getting the men to do your bidding, either, I've yet to see you act a doxie, but I don't want to see you start. Do we have an accord?" She again nodded slowly. "Aye, Captain Sparrow, we've an accord." He held out his hand for her, and she shook it daintily, bringing a sigh of frustration from his mouth. "Lass, you'll be havin' to drop the innocence act." He sat back down on his mattress, scooting to where he could be comfortable and turned down on his side."Goodnight, Miss Jennings...!" he said loudly, undertones of uncomfort in his voice. Timorously, she spoke up once more."Captain, I've nowhere to stay til dawn..." He groaned noisily, raising only his head off the bed. "What do you mean, you've nowhere to stay? I see plenty of floor space, miss. Are you needing spectacles, or are you still trying to be proper?"

Looking around her, the floor was scuffed and dirty, but she, being no cleaner, with no other room in which to sleep, was none to complain. "Thank you, Captain..." she spoke quietly, and she curled into a tiny ball in the corner, shifting uncomfortably between her corset,the hard wood, and a comfortable spot on her arm on which to rest her head. 

Will glanced at Novialeigh, who shook with cold and was still trying to get comfortable, and sighed, re-rolling all of the maps and placing them with his effects. "Miss Jennings, since some of us here have forgotten all of our decorum, if he ever had any, you shall take my bed." She turned over to look at him, surprised he actually was being kind to her, and he sighed once more, impatiently this time. "Miss, I haven't got all night, either take the bed or tell me you won't be so I can get some rest." She pushed herself up carefully, and whispered a quick "Thank you..." to him as she lay herself down on the mattress, turning away from he and Jack. William quickly gathered his cloak, which he spread across the floor and layed down upon, closing his eyes and cursing Jack for allowing Nova to stay on with them.

  
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OH LAND-HO! I'VE DONE IT AGAIN! I FINISHED ANOTHER CHAPTER! THANK THE GOOD LORD! *does a little dance* I'm so glad I have something to keep me occupied as of late. ^_^

And... I'm not sure if rented rooms had beds then, or if they were just straw piles, but for my sake, pretend, eh?

And, one more thing. If you're curious about the stunt Elizabeth pulled that Will referred to, you'll want to read my other story "Moments of Value". It'll explain any Will or Elizabeth weirdness you read. Any of it. Ohh, eeeks. Anyway, I'm gonna go get this chapter posted. YAYS!

_And when the wind hits my sails...I'm gone_

**~Bonnie Pirate Lass~**


	5. Twisted Skirts and Stinking Thieves

For starters, I want to thank the Acadamy... . . . err. The reviewers. Hehe. *blushes, embarrassed* But yeah, anyway, I hafta thank you guys (and/or girls, I'm not being sexist here...), cuz you rock. So rock on. :-P Hmmm...I should dedicate this story to someone... some... on... anyone... I pick... *does eeny meeny miney mo* YOU! I pick Jack Sparrow, cuz hes my alter-ego and my muse. Yurp, didn't you know he was a muse? I did. That's why he's my alter-ego. We understand each other.

In all actuality, This story is dedicated to the many faces of Memory Untainted for being the bestest greaser/pirate friend any personality-confused greaser/pirate could ask for. Hehe. Oooh, btw, I REALLY think I need my eyes checked, Miss Memory Untainted. I woke up this morning and sat down at the computer, and could hardly see... I feel like someone took my eyes out, dipped them in Elmer's glue and stuck them in my head, and when I blink it keeps the glue from drying so they are constantly glazed over. (I just realized I could have said "glazed over", and you'd have known what I was talking about but no.... I hafta be dramatic. lol)

Oooooowwwiee. Cinnamon gum. Painful.

ON WITH CHAPTER FIVE!!!!

  
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As was her custom, Novialeigh woke as the sun began to rise from it's sleeping state, and she sat straight up in bed. At first she didn't know where she was, and gasped, but she quickly remembered what had happened the night before, and looked around the room.

Jack and Will were gone.

As fast as her body would move, she jumped straight up out of bed, and tripped almost immediately on her skirts. She landed hard on the floor, chin first, her legs still entwined in her many layers of clothing and twisted in the blanket she had been covered with in the night. Just then, the door opened, and Nova screamed, terrified of who was coming in.

Of course, it was the two pirates, but she couldn't tell that from where she partially lay on the floor. Trying to offer her a bit of respect, Will turned around as soon as he saw how high her skirts had come up on her legs, but Jack was none for modesty, and marched over to her.

"Miss, wot is it you're doing?"

She pushed herself up, trying to wiggle free of the blanket and pull her skirts down at the same time, but to no avail, and Jack chuckled. "See, Will? That's EXACTLY why I would've made a terrible woman. Alright then, up ye go." He grabbed Novialeigh under her arms, and gave her a good yank, and the blanket fell limp at her feet as she was stood upright. "My... deepest gratitude, Captain..." She curtsied briskly to him as she tried to fix the jumbled mess that had become of her dress, and glanced from Jack's face to Wills, her own quite deeply flushed. "Oh, come off it, lass, we'll be seein' more than that of ye if you're intendin' on sailin' off with us!" She looked to the floor, as quiet as could be, hardly nodding her head. Jack sighed. "Y'know, ye thoroughly annoy me. Ye'd get on fantastic with young Will, right there." he told her, and pointed to where Will stood. 

Glancing at the younger of the two men quickly, she had to admit he was attractive. Not nearly as roughish or charming as Jack, it was true, but he wasn't at all a painful sight to behold. Will, after a moment or two of silence from Nova, turned his head to her, and caught her looking, and her eyes went wide again as he sneered at her. "Jack, I'd be ever obliged if you'd stop trying to 'find me a girl'!" He mocked Jack's words, finger quotes and all, buckling at the knees as he walked. Will did a fantastic impression of Jack, and it was all Nova could do to supress a giggle. Jack rolled his eyes. "And you, dear William, annoy me just a tad bit more." He stated as matter-of-factly as he could muster, and walked out of the room. Nova watched him go, still fumbling with her skirts, and Will cleared his throat impatiently. "Miss, we haven't all day to wait for you, you know..." He said quietly, holding the door open as he waited for her to leave first. She quickly grabbed her father's journal from the floor where it had fallen, and thanked Will under her breath as she followed Jack out and down the stairs.

Walking as quickly as she could between the two men, she looked around, trying to catch glances of everything before they reached the docks. She had never been this far into town, not since she'd come from the docks when getting off the ship she sailed from England on. This time, she wanted to be at the docks. Before, she had not.

From nowhere, a man, short, skinny, and as disgustingly smelly as any poor soul to be dragged up from Davy Jones' Locker before a week has passed, dashed out from the alley Captain Jack and his company had just passed. He practically charged into Novialeigh, bowling her over, and she hit the ground hard. "Oh, Miss, my apologies!" He said, helping her up, and then carried on along his way. 

Shooting daggers at the mans back with her glare, she brushed herself off, until it hit her. She had dropped her father's book when the bum had knocked her over. "He took my book!" she shouted after scanning the ground around her, not finding it. 

Jack spun around, wary eyes falling upon the girl's face. "Miss, wot in bloody hell are you on about now?" Shrieking, she could hardly contain herself. "That man, that man, he took it, he took my book! Oh, please, you must help me get it back!" She grabbed Jacks hand, making an attempt to pull him down the opposite alley, but he stood firm. "Why'dya care so much? All we really need it this map, luv!" She stared at him, shocked he could be so dense, and turned quickly to Will. "Won't you help me, please?!" He eyed her cautiously. "Miss Jennings, if I were you, I'd forget the book ever existed. As much as I'd like a good sword fight right now, I doubt that man, or any of the croonies he may have with him, fight fair." Will muttered, shooting Jack a look in rememberances of the first time they met, and somehow Jack felt his glare on the back of the neck, because he chuckled. "Aye, miss, exactly... an' we'll get ye good an' drunk on the Pearl, too! You'll forget about th'book in no time at all..."

She felt as though she could cry, but opted to look at her feet instead of arguing with the Captain or his cold hearted sidekick. Brushing her eyes with the back of her hand, she could only follow the both of them to the ship.

  
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Uh-oh... her book is gone... what is she gonna do without her book? And why on earth would some no-good smelly scallywag want it? Hmmmmmmm? HMMMMMMM?! lol Gotta love foreshadowing. Thank you M.U. for this fantabulomastic idea. I don't know what I would do without you. *smacks Jack for not being a good muse* *Jack deserved it* Ha. r/r pllleeeeeaaassseee! I know this chapter was shorter than most, but I hafta watch PotC again before I introduce Novialeigh to all of our dear rogue pirates. Yes. %_^

_And when the wind hits my sails...I'm gone_

**~Bonnie Pirate Lass~**


	6. Of Boats, Blisters, & Bad Times to Sing

OMFG. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

The other day, I was having the worst day imaginable, all this stuff was going wrong at work, and was just moody, and everything, so I finally get online and I have a total of 13 new reviews. You guys so so rock, and I love you all. *props and kudos and rum for everyone*

Now... as far as this chapter goes, it's short, and a bit pointless. I'll let you know that ahead of time, but there are some things that you should pay attention too. I won't say what. Mostly, I'm just throwing this in here for chaaracter development. I'd have added it to the uber short chapter 5 (Twisted Skirts and Stinking Thieves), but I didn't know if you guys would have gotten an author alert for that, since it's not really an update, just a modification. But anyway, you've been warned, so no flames telling me how bad this chapter sucks. I know it does, just bear with me, I'm plotting pivotal stuff right now for this story. And from the looks of things, this story is gonna be long. Hehe.

NOW! Since I don't wanna keep my reviewers waitin (MEEPPPSSS!!!! lol got that from beautifulbrat, thank you!!!), I'll do the rest of my talkin'-ness after the chapter. READ ON, FINE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!!!

  
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**Chapter 6**

_Of Boats, Blisters, and Bad Times To Sing_

After only a few minutes, the small group reached reached the docks, Nova not raising her tear-filled eyes from the ground. Neither of the two men made any move to comfort her, since neither knew how, but Jack felt sorry for the girl - she reminded him of himself when he was fresh off on his own, in some weird way. Will, however, didn't feel even the least bit sorry for her. The less he thought about her being around, the better he felt, because something about her tore his insides apart.

The sun, rising quickly, beat down as the three of them plodded across the wooden dock, three sets of footsteps following three rhythms. The harbormaster turned quikly as his ears caught the sound of them coming along, and approached Jack sternly. For a brief moment, Nova was frightened, knowing the last thing she needed was for Jack and Will to be discovered as pirates, they'd be hung instantly. **Then** she wondered if she'd be guilty by association, but only time - and the harbormasters reaction to Jack - would tell.

To her surprise, Jack smiled warmly at the short, stout man, who in turn softened his gaze. "Ahh, Mr. Smith! So good to see you again!" The man said, a false note of enthusiasm ever present, but Jack chose to ignore it, only smirking as he fumbled in his pockets. "Aye, George, I'm almost sure ye think so." At the sound of his given name, the harbormaster's eyes turned disapproving, but again turned friendly as Jack slid five shillings across the book he was holding. "I suppose that would be enough, wouldn' it?" George, although not as pleased with the amount as Jack would have hoped, closed his chubby fingers around the coins, nodding slowly. "Aye, and a good day to you, Mr. Smith." he said uncomfortably, turning on his heels, heading off to another dock.

Nova had put herself more behind Will than she would have really liked, but the fear of being seen was too real for her, and she knew she had to be smart about leaving, or she'd be found. But the exchange between Jack and the harbormaster had been too interesting, and the wit she realized Jack had - and disguised, quite well, actually - was in fact present. She made a mental note to be on her toes around him, not pulling her eyes away from him as he finished his _business_ with the Harbormaster. Catching her eyes upon him, he stared blankly at Nova, waiting for her to look away, to blush, to do any of the girly things she had been so prone to do in the evening he had known her. When she didn't, he was perplexed. "Wot!?" he exclaimed. That snapped her from her reverie, and she shook her head wildly as Will and Jack exchanged looks of confusion and disbelief. Shrugging, Jack lead Will and Nova to the small boat, which rocked with the waves, that would take them to the _Pearl_.

"Fine, fine, damn ye, girl..." he muttered, climbing in behind Will. Nova stood three feet behind him, not having moved an inch. "Nova, we haven' go' all day, to sit here in the sun, baking. So come on, then, luv, get in!" Jack told her, his voice lined with annoyance. He needed a drink - **badly** - but to get one, he needed to get to the _Pearl_. He couldn't do that until she was in the boat.

After watching him climb in, watching the boat sway with his weight, Nova felt her confidence in her plan falter. Apparently Jack and Will noticed it too, for Jack continued to stare, and Will chuckled arrogantly. "Oh yes, Jack. Fine sailor you've found us. Afraid of a dingy." He smirked, but wiped the look from his face as Jack shot him a look that reeked of authority, and Nova smiled at him gratefully, Will now glowering at the both of them quietly.

"Nova, please! Get in the boat, luv!" He exclaimed, reaching his hand out for hers, and she took it, gasping inaudibly as their fingers touched. She looked at Jack, praying with all her might he hadn't heard her as she tried not to blush. Unluckily for her, her prayers were only partially answered.

Jack hadn't heard her. Will had.

As he sat smirking in the little boat, she shot him a mixed look, both threatening him to say nothing, but moreso pleading with him to consider her feelings as she sat beside him. He only rolled his eyes, turning his face from her to look out at the sea as she settled herself on the hard wooden seat. Jack smiled proudly at her. "We'll be makin' a pirate out of you, yet, lass!" He exclaimed, and she snorted, her face plastered with dry humor. "Hardly." Although he chose to ignore the comment, he wouldn't give up on her. "You'll be helpin' row now, luv..." She looked at him, her mouth gaping wide. "Have you gone mad?! What do you take me for, some common seaman?! I've never been in a boat my whole life long, let alone rowed one! Isn't my being in the bloody thing enough?!"

As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she regretted them, gasping loudly as her hand flew to her mouth. Both Will and Jack were silent as well, although both were staring at the other, exchanging flabbergasted glances.

Jack smirked, handing Nova an oar, and she stared at it, bewildered. Will watched her, chuckling, and Jack silently raised his eyes at Will, giving him a second warning. Again, he was quieted. "Ja-Captain..." Nova stopped herself from making another slip-up, and Jack smiled warmly. "Good t'know ye know how to follow orders, luv... now then, wot is it ye were sayin'?" She looked at him, then to the oar, then to him again, and he nodded. The near-painful realization that she knew absolutely nothing hit him at too early an hour, with too little rum in his system, and he rubbed his temples.

"Err... right, then..." he told her, raising his face to look her over. "Well... just try... and Will can teach ye... right, Will?" The tanned pirate leaned back in the little boat, ignoring the angry glare Will was giving him. He directed Nova to put her oar in the water, and she did. "Alright... follow my lead...." he grumbled, and began to row.

Nove really tried to give an honest effort, but the now-blazing sun, reflecting off the sea was burning her eyes, and she felt herself grow dizzy, beads of sweat collecting on her forehead. She felt a sharp pain in the palm of her hand, and dropped the oar, raising her hand to look it over. "Oww..!" she moaned, wincing as she saw the huge splinter embedded in her red, now blistering hand. Will peered over her shoulder, glancing down at it, and rolled his eyes. "Oh, stop. Pick the oar up and let's go, your hands are bound for worse than this, anyway." She shot him a glare, but nodded slowly, blinking away the tears as she turned back to her oar. But this time, she could hardly move it. She had never worked a day in her life, and her hands stung with every movement, her arms aching.

As she raised her head, going to pull her handkerchief out of her sleeve so she could have something to protect her hands from the wood, she glanced at Jack, who had began to hum. Will sighed, exasperated as Jack continued, and Nova wrapped the handkerchief around her hands the best she could, as _quickly_ as she could, when Will snatched the oar from her. "Give me that... we'll make no progress if you row... acting like a right spoiled ninny."

Nova's head snapped up, shooting daggers at him through her eyes. She'd had enough of his snide comments. "Well, excuse me, _Mr. Turner_, for being new and bad at this, surely there's _got_ to be something _you're_ bad at, or do you really know everything like you act as though you do?!"

He sneered at her. "If I didn't have some small idea of what I was doing, I wouldn't be doing it!"

"**AND DEVILS AND BLACK SHEEP AND REALLY BAD E-**"

"Jack, **shut up** with that bloody song!!"

In the midst of their argument, Will and Nova didn't notice Jack replace his humming with singing, and they didn't notice him singing louder and louder to smother their bickering until he was shouting over them. But it was when Will snapped at Jack that the entire thing went too far.

Jacks eyes popped open, and first he gave Nova an, "I'll deal with you later" look before he turned to the only person who could talk to him like that and live to do it again - Will.

"William?"

"Yes...?"

"When I die, and I leave ye my ship, ye will be Captain, an' I will be dead. Savvy so far?" Will sighed, as though he had heard this speech before.

"Aye, savvy."

"Alright... then until then, I'm the Captain, and I'll be choosin' the songs, eh?"

"Aye... my apologies..."

Will muttered the last part, and even though he didn't say it loud enough for Jack to hear, Jack did know he was sorry. Will rowed in silence, occasionally shooting a nasty glance at Nova, who was trying not to touch anything for fear of hurting her hands, and it was Jacks voice that broke the silence as his eyes spanned the horizon.

"There she is... _The Black Pearl_..."

Nova turned her heads upwards, shielding her eyes with her less-wounded hand, and as her stare fell upon the ship, she felt both a surge of hope and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

'_If only Elizabeth could've had this sort of adventure..._' She thought, clueless to the skeletons in Elizabeths - **and** Wills, **and** Jacks - closets.

  
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HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA!!! YAY! I'VE DONE IT AGAIN! I promise the next few chapters will have some really good pirate-y goodness. I'd have put it in earlier, but it wouldn't have made sense. hehe. Alright, so here are my Reviewers notes... *sighs happily* Reviewers... meaning more than one... I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

**RMT:** Sorry, can't tell! They might have a little... err... fling. NOT! Elizabeth... well, she'll... and... sorry, nope, can't tell you! Gotta wait to find out! *grins evilly* Thanks much for the review, mate!

**Memory Untainted:** I'm older... so... umm... JACKS THE CAPTAIN! YAYAYYAYYAY! *dances* lol I dun wanna be the captain if I'm competing with you. yes. Mexico. No. THE CARIBBEAN!!! EEEKKS!! I JUST GOT A REALLY GOOD IDEA!! A REALLY GOOD ONE! ITS ALL BECAUSE OF THIS YAYAYYAYAYAYAYY!!! *dances* MUST WRITE IT DOWN! okies, MEEPS, don't keelhaul me, I updated. Damnit. Yes, somethin' bad is gonna happen. And you are clairvoyant. %_^ LIKE ME!!!! *happy dances* Lol, we all have a grudge against Elizabeth. *growls at her* Anyway, I need your help today! I need the map thingie! YOU MUST HELP!!! *tears* I won't update if you don't help me. REVIEWERS ATAAAACKKKK!!!! *points at Memory Untainted* (Haha, I have an army. *grins*). Thanks for being a loyal reviewer, I'll update La Isla Bonita just for yooouuu!! %_~ (winking pirate... lol)

**Allasrya:** WOW! My first piece of constructive critism! Thanks much! Her name, which I was going to change, actually, to just Nova, is pronounced No-vya-lee. Like George Dubya? No-vya. lol. But everyone calls her Nova, which has relations to the word Butterfly... MEEPS, I'm giving away plot stuff. Heehee. I should stop now. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE GREAT REVIEW, MATE! *cheers*

**Captain Crimson:** YAY! THE CAP'N LIKES IT!!! *does a dance* Thanks much, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Melinda:**Thanks!!! That's soooo nice!!! *does another happy dance*

**K/c:**No, YOU brightened MY day! I couldn't believe the great reviews you left, I was so happy, I wanted to cry. I'm really glad someone's noticed that Nova isn't perfect, and she may be pretty, but she's not a Mary-Sue. *glares at certain reviewers who reviewed when she had this posted on her old penname* Yeah, Will's gonna be a shithead for a few more chapters, not sure how many more though, but if you're wondering why he's so bitter, then you'll prolly wanna read my story "Moments of Value"... explains the whole thing... AND THERE IS LIZZIE BASHING IN IT! YAYAYAYYAYA!!!! *dances* Thanks again, so so much. I am forever grateful.

EEKS! I am so happy. So far I'm on the favorites list of 6 people, and the alert list of 12. Bloody fantastic. I love you guys!!!

_And when the wind hits my sails, I'm...gone..._

**Mistress Heavily, AKA, Bonnie Pirate Lass**


	7. Surprised, Shocked, Hurt, Confused

YAAAAY! I'm just going to really really fast say thanks to Cj-cj, Mem, and Miss Sofie for reviewing, especially you, Cj, cuz you've reviewed like everything I've written. I **really **appreciate it. So yeah, now I'm just going to super fast go ahead and skip to the story, I have to start writing chapter 4 of "Curse of the Happy Pills". It was demanded. Hehe.

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Chapter 7

Surprised, Shocked, Hurt, Confused

The hot Caribbean sun beat down with a fiery passion so intense that Nova could scarcely breathe as a rope ladder was thrown down to them. "Oye, Cap'n!" came the voice of one particularly scruffy man. "Oye, Gibbs!!" Jack called back, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked up towards the man who tossed over two more ropes.

Nova stood up as slowly as she could possibly manage, the boat rocking beneath them, and she bit her bottom lip in order to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged - in her stomach. After he and Will rigged the boat up to the other ropes thrown down, Jack begin climbing the makeshift rope ladder with ease, not looking back down to Nova and Will until he was halfway up.

"Aren't ye comin', luv?"

She looked up at him, afraid that if she moved, the boat would capsize. "I'm... I'm afraid... she said, keeping her voice as low as she could so that the other - she assumed correctly that they were pirates - would not hear her.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on, we didn' drag ye here, ye asked t' come along, now do so, an' without delay, if at all possible!" he snapped down at her, climbing up the rest of the ladder to the ship deck.

Nova turned to look at Will, who was going behind her in case she fell. Sighing, with his last bit of patience, he looked down to her. "Just grab the ladder, Miss...", and she did so, her trembling, blistered hands screaming with pain. She let out a small whimper, which Will ignored, and his voice grew a bit firmer as he continued to instruct her. "Now, stop on the bottom rung." She looked to him once more, fear in her eyes, and he made no move to encourage her any further. '_You can do this..._' he thought, and watched her nod slowly, turning back to the rope as she placed on foot, then the other. With a small smile, she realized she was completely on the rope - and then she froze, instantly filled with fear.

"Miss Jennings, I'm right behind you... please, go a bit faster..." Will told her impatiently. But still she could not move, with him behind her or not, and she burst into a sweat, shaking frightfully as she put her feet back in the boat. "I can't, I can't do it, and you cannot make me, take me home this inst-"

Nova's sentance was cut short as Will grabbed her firmly about the waist and draped her over his shoulder as he climbed the rope ladder single-handedly.

A few cheers and some mild applause started when Will climbed on deck, setting Nova down on her feet as she shrieked, swinging her fists wildly at Will. "How **DARE** you, you ruddy bastard!" She shouted, knowing her fair share of curses from spending the day at the dock with her father when she was younger. She tried not cry, thoroughly embarrassed with herself and what he had done, and continued to beat against his chest, screaming at him.

But Will was quick to stop it, snatching her tiny wrists from the air and squeezing them tightly, and the explosion of laighter that had come from the crew quickly died down. His nose mere centimeters from hers, Will sneered down at her, his voice no more than an enraged whisper. "Do not, Nova, for one moment, fool yourself into thinking you are anything special... you'd do well to remember who your friends are on this ship, and who are not, because there may come a time when you'll need my help, and I'll be too busy reflecting on you, and the lousy thanks you gave me the last time I helped you." Her eyes stung with tears as he glared at her, and she felt no more than three inches tall as everyone watched on.

"Will... let th' girl go... now."

Both Will and Nova turned quickly to face Jack, who glared at the young pirate as he released Nova's wrist. She rubbed them, stepping backwards as quickly as she could to get away from him, blinking away the tears so Jack would not see.

"Jack... th' boys go' a poin' in no' likin' th' girl, look a' her! Do we really need another woman o' her... class... on board?" Gibbs, having had his fair share of rum already, was a tad mouthier than normal, but Jack disregarded it. A murmer of agreement passed through the crew, and their stares made Nova incredibly nervous.

"I mean, c;mon, Jack! She's practically th' spit an' image o' tha' Miss Swann, an' I know ye remember th' trouble she caused us!"

At this, Nova gasped, louder than she had intended to, and the crew turned around to look at her. "What... what about Miss Swann?" she questioned, her voice a bit bolder than she had intended it to be. Gibbs snorted. "She was a righ' lot o' trouble las' year, an' I erally don' care ter think abou' the lengths we wen' through ter keep th' lass ou' o' harms way, only ter no' be appreciated righ'ly afterwards."

Will looked down at the wooden deck, his fists clenched tightly behind his back, and Nova shook her head slowly. "You must be talkning about someone else, you'd have to be... Lizzie wouldn't ever do something like that..." She spoke with quiet disbelief.

Not quietly enough.

Will's head snapped upwards, his eyes on fire with new anger and hatred - even deeper with hurt and self-loathing. "What do you know about Elizabeth?!" he said to her, trying to contain his raw determination to tear her to pieces, and doing as good a job as anyone feeling as lousy as he was could do. Jack sighed, knowing that Elizabeth had indeed left him a broken man.

"I know enough..." Nova said, truly terrified Will would strangle her at any moment. Will took a few steps forward, towering over her in height, and in anger. "That doesn't answer my question, Miss Jennings."

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "She's... tall..." she squeaked, not really knowing what else to say. Will sighed, getting frustrated. "She's tall, that's all you have to say?! Is she alive?! Is she happy?! How do you know her?" Will exploded, and Nova took another step back, almost trying to hide behind Jack. "S-she's my cousin..." He looked at her, frozen. "Is she alright...?" He asked, his voice lowered drastically. She nodded. "I suppose so... she's with child... due any day..." She finally added, and gathered the wits to look up at Will... immediately wishing she had not.

Personally, Jack had been intimidated by the look on his face when Elizabeth had come into the conversation. But the unbridled hatred in Wills glare was enough to frighten Satan himself back into the deepest recesses of Hell.

Nova sidestepped behind Jack, for good this time, poking her head around his arm as she watched Will storm off, slamming the door to the crews quarters so hard, an overly audible crack was heard.

With a smug look on his face, Gibbs took a swig from his canteen. "See?" Look a' th' trouble she's caused already!" Jack, infuriated, jerked his head up at Gibbs. **"Enough!!! **Back t' work, all of ye!!!" The crew quickly scurried off to raise the small rowboat Will, Jack and Nova had come out on, and finish any odd jobs they had left undone. Jack headed off for his cabin, leaving Nova alone.

After a moment, she looked around, scared. "Captain, wait!" She called after him, and he turned around slowly, looking positively exhausted. "Wot is it, girl?" He inquired, his voice heavy with stress and boredom. "What am I to do...?" she asked softly, not believing herself as she stared into his beautiful onyx eyes.

He stared at her thoughtfully. "I'd put ye t' work, but I'd rather have a talk with Gibbs and the rest of the crew before I do tha'... He was quiet another moment, and Nova wished desperately for a fan, or a bonnet, or anything to ease the suns rays. As her stomach tossed and turned inside of her, Jack watched her, his face unchanging, and she would've blushed, but she didn't have a chance to notice - she was wiping her face with her now filthy handkerchief.

"Ye can take a nap or somethin', if ye choose... rather not have ye out here an' all. I can't watch over ye..." Turning her head to look up at him, and even though she forced her muscles to move, it was truly sincere. He watched her curiously for a moment. "Yes, it'd be wise for ye t' try an' get a nap in... we'll be arrivin' in Tortuga shortly, an' I've no intentions of leavin' ye on board alone..." He pointed her in the direction of Anamaria's cabin, which held an empty bunk within, and took his leave after tipping his hat to her.

Sighing softly, she made her way to the tiny cabin, curled up in a little ball upon her bunk and closed her eyes. As she did so, she saw Jack's, vibrant and sparkling. A girlish blush rose to her cheeks - though it was hardly noticable through her sunburn - and felt herself fall into a deep, oblivious sleep, her thoughts on the pirate captain the whole time.

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A loud banging at the door awoke her an hour or so after.

"Get up! The quatermaster is demandin' a word with ye!" Anamaria's shrill, edgy voice didn't make waking up any better, and Nova slowly pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. "**Are ye up!?**" Anamaria shouted, pounding again. "Yes! Coming!!" she grumbled. _'Quartermaster...?'_ Puzzled, she jumped up, heading out on deck. "Who's looking for me...?" She asked Anamaria, covering her eyes until they could adjust to the light, but when she looked around for the female pirate, she had already gone.

Mumbling something under her breath about how it was rude to leave without specifying who this Quatermaster was, she set off to find Anamaria. She kept her eyes down, avoiding the dirty stares of the crew, and was about to turn back to the cabin when she felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder and spin her around.

Gasping as she did so, she looked up at Will, shrinking back quickly. "What are you doing?" he spat angrily at her, and she immediately remembered she was terrified of him. "I was looking for Anamaria, she woke me up saying something about a Quartermaster, but I wasn't sure who that was, and when I went to ask, she was already gone..." she explained quickly, her explination more of a strain of incoherent nonsense than something credible, but it was enough, and the anger in his eyes surprisingly subsided. "Come along... we landed in Tortuga half an hour ago, Jack asked me to bring you once you'd had a chance to rest." He smirked at this, and Nova couldn't believe her ears - he hadn't immediately woken her? _'Why would he do that for me...?'_ she mused, and for a brief moment in time found herself entertaining thoughts of a romantic sort. A deep blush rose to her cheeks when she thought of the pirate captains rougish demeanor, but her daydream was interrupted by Will clearing his throat. "We should really head off now, if we intend to find him before another one of his **friends** get their hands on him..." He trailed off as he offered his arm to her rather stiffly, and she took it politely, trying to touch him as little as possible.

He lead her through the rowdy streets, people laughing, people fighting, and she stepped a bit closer to Will in fear. Turning sharply to his right, he unhooked his arm from hers, and took each of her shoulders in his hands, pushing her in front of him through the crowded pub he had lead her to.

"Will... are you sure Jack is here...?!" She yelled over the noise and her shoulder to him, and in a rare display, Will threw his head back and laughed. "Am I sure? Jack?" Anywhere else? To **think** of anything else is a cardinal sin." He continued to chuckle, and after collecting a few tankards of rum from the bar, he lead her back where Jack was.

Hardly containing her excitement over it, Nova saw that he was alone, and sat down quickly beside him before anyone else could. She was disappointd he was more excited about the rum than her, but figured that it was a momentary lapse of reason.

From the way Will and Jack went at their rum, she could tell it would be a long evening.

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YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I DID IT! OKIES I HAVE TO GO BUT REVIEW, I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!

Always-

Heaven Marquin, The Bonnie Pirate Lass


	8. Just Jack

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**Chapter Eight**  
_Just Jack _

As the night progressed, Nova loosened up a bit. Will relaxed, unlike Jack, without getting plastered first - it was the laughter and the jokes, and the thought that work was put off until another day. Jack, however, was quick to drink, and was as gone as he ever was shortly after Will and Nova's arrival.

Who knows now, maybe it was the idea he was breaking all the rules of society. Maybe it was that he slurred his words even more when he was drunk - if you could believe that. Maybe it was that her mother had warned her to steer clear of men when they drank; that they were monsters - although Nova personally couldn't see Jack hurting a fly in his condition. Or maybe... just **maybe** it was the fact that he was simply Captain Jack Sparrow... but Nova found herself utterly intruiged by his every movement, his every word. She watched him, leaning back against the bench, laughing when he said something funny, blushing when he said something dirty, all the while feeding her newest and only addiction with stolen glances at his eyes, his lips, anything that belonged to him.

"Here... try this..."

Jack's voice shattered her thoughts as he slid his mug across the table. "What?" she asked, giggling. "I can't... I couldn't possible..." She blushed a bit, the thought of her lips touching where his lips had more intoxicating than the liquor in the mug, and Jack smiled, doing his best to charm her out oof all good sense. "Oh come now, 'sjust a bit of rum!" he told her, picking it up and holding it under her nose.

She glanced at the mug, then at Jack, then Will, who was staring at her with the oddest of looks. She shrugged it off, smiling nervously as cautious hands wrapped themselves around Jack's mug. "Righ', tha's it, girl, go on..." She swallowed hard, tipping the glass upwards slowly, and stopped as soon as the amber-colored liquid splashed softly against her lips, only taking in the tiniest of swallows.

The only thing she could think about was how it tasted like Jack smelled. Letting her eyes close for a brief moment as she set the mug down, Will excused himself, and Jack leaned over to her, all smiles, speaking quietly in her ear. "Like it?" She smiled softly, blushing. "Not as much as I like you..."

Jack froze momentarily as Nova continued to smile absentmindedly, until even the screaming laughter of Tortugan whores was lost upon her. The false silence pounded in her ears until she couldn't stand it anymore.

"I said that out loud, didn't I...?"

Jack nodded ever so slowly, watching the color drain from her face. He was searching his now quite-sobered mind for something to say when Will sauntered back to the table. "You'll never in a hundred years guess who I found outside..." he told Jack smugly. The good captain composed himself quickly, turning his head up to face Will. "Who wos it?" From the look on Will's face, Jack gathered he wasn't all that happy about it, but shrugged that off - Will was never happy about much of anything anymore.

"Heav... from Port Royal..."

"Aah, so that explains the dour look." Will smirked, and Nova wondered about the reasons why - Mistress Heav seemed nice enough back home. "Why woul' I care about Heav? Tha' woman's mouth would be the death of me..." With his hands, he mimicked the incessant talking of the pub mistress, and Will snorted, trying to hold back his laughter. He stopped short, however, when the petite, curvy blonde sashayed over to the table.

"'Ey, look Minnie! Tha's the girl I wos tellin' ye about! Right quiet thin', she is!" Heav's voice broke the quiet, and Nova looked down, glancing at Jack from the corner of her eye. He sat with his face turned from her now, smiling up at a tall, slender woman - the one Heav had called Minnie. Much to Nova's disappointment, he looked genuinely happy to see her.

"'Ello, luv..." he whispered against the back of her hand, kissing it gently. She smiled mischieviously down at him. "Well, well, if it isn't Cap'n Sparrow, come back t' Tortuga..." Her light brown locks framed her face as they fell over her shoulders, and Jack smiled a bit wider, rising up to greet her properly. "Who's yer little friend, Cap'n? No' another escapade, I hope..." came Mignonette's low voice, and Jack shook his head. "Hardly... more like a business partner... wouldn't ye say tha', Nova?" He turned, looking down at her, and she wanted to scream at him, to ball her fists up and pummel him bloody, but she only nodded, forcing a smile. "Yes... business partners..." she whispered, looking back down at her hands in her lap.

"Good... then yer all mine tonight then, aren't ye?" Minnie smiled, her eyes twinkling as she took Jack's dredlocked beard into her hand, tugging gently as she pulled him away. Will chuckled, and Nova could hardly bear to watch the scene. As dense as he was, being drunk and having an attractive woman draping herself across him, Will did notice something was the matter with her, and asked Heav to give him a moment with Nova. She looked down at the girl, then to Will and nodded slowly. "Need a drink anyway..." she said, and headed off towards the bar.

It was quite obvious to him that Heav wasn't coming back from the way she was laughing with the small cluster of men that had formed around her, and Will sighed. "Did he say something to you while I was gone...?" he inquired, and Nova shook her head. "No... more like he said absolutely nothing..." She was hurt he hadn't even at least let her down gently, and wasn't really in the mood to talk about it, but Will prodded further. "Then what's got you so down...?" She suspected that his friendliness and curiousity stemmed from the rum in his system, but wasn't about to turn away any sort of friendship - not with the uncomfortable, cold way Jack would most surely treat her from then on. "I... sort of said something too him, and he wasn't particularly happy to hear it, I suppose..." Her cheeks went a bit pink, and she blinked back tears of embarrassment and frustration. '_Come on, Nova - the last thing you need is for him to see you crying...'_

He nodded slowly. "Let me guess... you've managed to find you believe you've got feelings for our good friend, Jack Sparrow, am I right...?" Will had really been onto that idea all along - she had been a bit obvious about her affections. She looked up at him, eyes wide, partially with hurt, partially with anger. "How did you know that...?" she whispered, and Will shrugged. "You haven't been the most secretive of secret admirers, Miss Nova... it's been almost blatant..." She looked away, embarrassed to all ends. "I didn't mean for it to happen..." she whispered, and Will didn't hear her - he was too busy starting off an a speech of the "I told you so" variety - even though he'd told her no such thing.

"Miss, he's **hardly** the type of man you'd be interested in... he'll never change... or settle down... wed, or father children... he's just Jack. That's all he'll ever be. People like Jack and myself are not made for the likes of you, or your dear, sweet cousin..." he spat out bitterly. Nova's head snapped upwards and she glared at him. "I never said I wanted any of those things from Jack!" she cried out angrily, and he smirked. "You didn't have to... your eyes and your actions gave you away..." She shrank back a bit in her seat. "Anyway, I'd thank you not to bring my cousin into this conversation, you don't even know her."

Will stared at her blankly, a smug, arrogant sneer toying with his lips. "You really are a clueless dolt, aren't you? Falling in love with Jack Sparrow and presuming to tell **me** I don't know Elizabeth Swann?" Her eyes went wide with fury, and her fists clenched subconsciously at her sides. "I am nothing of the sort, and you **don't** know her, so please, Mister Turner, do us all a favor and stop with your holier-than-thou act... you are the furthest thing from God I've ever known, you'd do well to remember that when interacting with people!" With that, she snatched his half-empty mug from the table and lifted it up, dousing him in it as she stood up and headed for the exit.

In the blink of an eye, he was beside her, wrenching her arm around the other way to pull her back to him. "You little..." he muttered, angry enough to hit her. But surprisingly, she glared up at him with every ounce of fervor and determination as he had in his eyes, and he dropped her arm, seeing that it wasn't worth the fight that would most certainly cause a scene. "Do pass word along to the **Captain**..." she said, spitting the word 'captain' out as though it were diseased, "... that I am retiring for the night... if he wishes to find me, I shall be back aboard the _Pearl_..." She stormed off outside, leaving William alone and confused - and dripping with rum, one might add.

She was too angry and too stubborn to admit that she had gotten in over her head this time. Everywhere she looked, all she saw was people, people, and more people - not a single sign of the docks. Heading off in what she **thought** was the right direction, Nova tried to keep her head down, and avoid meeting anyone's eyes.

"Oh, luv, where ye headin' off ter so quick, eh?" came a voice from behind her - it almost sounded familiar, but she refused to turn to look to see who it was. The man chuckled. "Aww, don' be shy, girl... I don' want ter hurt ye!" But his actions said otherwise as he grabbed her shoulder tightly, spinning her around.

It was him - the man who had stolen her book! Gasping, she tried to back away from him, only hitting a wall. Scared out of her wits, she made an attempt to run down the alleyway, not really caring where she ended up, but the man grabbed a thick handful of her hair, yanking her towards into him. With a shriek, she flew backwards, her hands flying up to his to try and free herself from his grip, but it really was no use - he was quite strong for his small size.

"Where is it...?!" he shouted, grabbing Nova by her arms. "I want th' map, girl, where in bloody hell did ye get off to with it?!" She shook her head, trying not to cry as his fingers dug into her arms tightly. "Oww... let me... go!!! I don't have it!!" For a brief moment, she thought about kicking him, but she figured that she'd likely break her toe through the soft, once snow white fabric of her slippers she had been wearing since they left Port Royal. He threw her back against the wall, and she yelped in pain, feeling a bit dizzy as her head smacked the solid wood plank. "Don' lie t' me, girl, if ye know wot's good fer ye..." Still shaking her head violently, Nova pleaded with him. "Please, I don't have it!! Just let me go!" He chuckled quietly. "I'm no' lettin ye go until I have tha' map... an' tha's final."

The man turned around, facing Jack's scabbard as he roughly tugged Nova in his direction by her hair. He stopped quickly as the blade was brought up against his jugular. "Let her go, mate.... s'really no' worth the trouble..." The man glared at Jack, but let her go, and she immediately ran to Jack, standing behind him as she continued to cry. "Now... get out of my sight, before you make me do somethin' I might regret, though I doubt I would... regret it, tha' is..." Jack clarified, smiling smugly. The man nodded slowly, and backed down the alleyway, Jack watching him do so.

Kneeling down to where Nova sat in the middle of the muddy road, he looked at her. "Ye alrigh'...? Did he hurt ye much....?" She shook her head, and continued to sob, and Jack didn't know what to do. She leaned against him, continuing to cry, and he awkwardly hugged her, causing her to jump. "Shhh.... don' be scared... s'just Jack, eh? Shhh...."

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Oooohhhh my god, two updates this soon?! MEEPS! WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TOO! runs away screaming lol. Okies, peoples, leave reviews... you know you wanna!!!  
Always,  
Heaven Marquin, _The Bonnie Pirate Lass_


	9. Listening is One Thing Understanding Is...

Ahhh, chapter 9... I can't believe I haven't dropped this story yet! I normally get writer's block by now... I hope I haven't rushed these past few chapters, things have been kinda crazy lately, so my writings not exactly my number one priority. It will be eventually, and soon, I hope... but I'm trying to finish out my school year, **and** we're moving, and like I said, there's just been drama, drama, drama, so just hang in there with me, guys, and I promise that the erratic updates will someday be scheduled and predictable.

I wanted to tie up a few ends from the beginning of the story, and start some new storylines going on, so if it seems a bit off, you know why. I decided to give you a little bit of backstory on Jack and Will, the map, and Nova's father, and if you're smart, you'll pick up some hints on what's going to happen in the future... I think. Enjoy, guys, and thanks so much for the reviews!!!

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**Chapter Nine**__

Listening is One Thing - Understanding is Another

After taking Nova back to the _Pearl_, and finding Anamaria to sit with her until he returned, Jack quickly rushed back to the pub in which Will sat, alone. He was a bit angry with him for letting Nova wander out into the streets Tortuga by herself, but decided to ask him about it before he jumped to any conclusions.

He saw from across the room Will shooting glances at Heav, who still sat at the bar, perched on a high stool, toying flirtatiously with a random sailor. The look of disgust on Will's face made Jack's heart ache - although it was a dull one, for he felt that it was Will's fault for what had happened between the two of them. He had been friends with Heav at one point, and she'd told him the whole story, but he wondered if Will would ever talk about it.

He caught a glimpse of the blonde out of the corner of his eye as he approached Will's table, but decided to put the girl, her friend, and Will's relationship problems out of his mind for a moment in time - he had larger fish to fry.

"Will...?"

Will looked up at Jack, his eyes glazed over just a bit from too much rum. Jack sighed heavily, sitting down in front of him. "You know, boy, yer not goin' t'solve any of yer problems sittin' here, drinkin' yerself t'death..." Will nodded slowly, looking up at the pirate whos dark, sympathetic eyes were fixed on him, a sad smile on his face. "I know, I know..." More silence.

"She's Elizabeth's cousin, Jack..."

"Aye, I heard tha'... funny little world, innit?"

Will smirked at that. "Hardly... more like being damned to an eternal, lonely, loveless hell..."

Jack chuckled. "Ye sound like a woman when ye talk like tha'..." Will raised his eyes from the bottom of his mug. "Oh, bugger off, Jack... why are you here, anyway? Where'd your little friend go?"

Jack thought about how he should answer that for a moment or two before doing so. "She wasn' too happy abou' the amount of attention I wos payin' her... Told me I should clear my head and come back t'see her next time I wos in port... an' so I shall." He smiled, but it was a smile of disappointment and guilt, and Will understood the feeling, although he wasn't completely sure he wanted to know any details regarding the attention he had mentioned. "I see..."

After another uncomfortable silence, Jack sighed. "Well, tha' wosn't wot I was here t'talk to ye about, anyway. We're leavin' in an hour." Will's head jumped up, and he looked at him, confusion in his eyes. "What? Why? Did something happen?" Jack nodded slowly. "Ye coul' say tha'... Miss Nova decided t'take herself on a little tour of Tortuga... wen' and got attacked by someone demandin' t' see the map..." Will's eyes went wide for a moment, then he looked down. "So others know that we're after it, then..." Jack shrugged. "Can't ever be sure... old Jennings could've tol' everyone 'bout his daughter and th' map, you yerself heard th' way he rattled on an' on after a few mugs..." Will's head bobbed in dazed agreement, and he sighed. "So this is our last stop before the island?" With a bit of apprehension, Jack replied. "Aye, the very last... at least when we come back this way, we'll be rich men, eh?" With a half-grin, Will looked at him. "I suppose you're right... there'll be more time for drinking once we come back this way... and at least Gibbs won't be so edgy... one less woman on board and all..." Jack smiled, trying to cover up his true feelings on that matter, but Will wouldn't have noticed it anyway - he was too busy downing the last of his drink.

They headed back to the _Pearl_ after Will whispered a quick goodbye into Heav's ear, mostly in silence, until Jack's curiosity got the best of him. "So what happened between th' two of ye, anyway?" Will shrugged. "She left, she and I had been arguing again..." Jack was a bit confused at this, and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Arguin' again? Wot d'ye mean, again?"

"That's all we do, Jack, is argue... are you feeling alright?" The perplexion on Jack's face was enough to send anyone into peals of laughter, but Will was too concerned with the state of his mental health to laugh. "Yes, I'm fine, I jus' don't understand wot ye mean by 'again', I haven't seen ye argue with Heav in ages..."

"Oh... her..." Will said quietly, looking down at his shoes. "Aye, her, wot happened, then?" Will shrugged, his hands behind his back, walking alongside Jack slowly. "I don't think I was ready to try and find someone when I got involved with Heav... too soon after Elizabeth, I suppose... She's too nice a person to lie to, anyway, so I was truthful with her... told her how I felt... I guess trying to court a barmaid was a bad idea anyway, especially her... she always has been a bit violent." Jack chuckled at this, nodding slowly. "Aye, I know jus' wot ye mean, mate."

With a smile, Will continued, and even though Jack assumed it was only because he was full of rum that he was talking about it, he continued to listen. "So, I told her I need a bit of space for a bit... clear my head... maybe have myself a little adventure before I tried to think about women again... she promptly began pummeling me, something terrible, I might add... broke my nose..." Even as he thought about it, he smiled, like it wasn't hurtful to think about - and they both knew it was. Maybe he'd become accustomed to heartbreak, or come to terms with being alone, but Will was indeed a different person nowadays.

"Ahh, so that's what happened... accident at the smithy, indeed..." Jack smirked playfully at Will, who was smiling foolishly. "Honestly, Jack, you think I'd admit to just anyone that a woman broke my nose? I had to think of something to tell the lot of you... hard enough holding my salt on that ruddy ship of yours." Jack nodded slowly, heading up the gangplank of the _Pearl_, thinking that a change of subject was in order. "I'm headin' in t'check on the girl, care t'join me? She's had a dreadful night..." Jack's impression of a pompous, ignorant fool - much like Governor Swann, whom they both despised - was right on the money, and Will laughed. "Aye, but only for a moment... thinking of trading watch duty with whoever's got it tonight, probably won't be able to sleep anyway..." Jack knocked softly on the girls cabin, and Anamaria opened the door, the room behind her glowing with the light of a latern. "It's bloody about time! Wot took ye tha' long?!" She hissed. Jack gave her a look, and everyone present knew she was out of line by questioning him like that, but he let it slide - they had been docked in Tortuga, and he doubted she was the tiniest bit sober.

"I wos explainin' a few things to Will, is tha' alright with ye, Captain?" Jack quipped, and then mocked a gasp, covering his mouth with both hands. "Oh, wait just a minute... **I'm** the captain, innit I?" Anamaria glared at him, storming off, and he tried to contain his laughter until she was out of earshot. "Thank ye, luv! It wos appreciated!!" he called after her, and it was then that he and Will burst into snickers, taking a few moments to themselves before heading off inside to check on Novialeigh.

Nova, however, was already up and out of bed, not even bothering to stop and put on slippers before she ran to the railing of the _Pearl_, emptying her stomach into the sea. She hadn't felt well all day, and the events of the evening hadn't helped her poor stomach any. A pang of sympathy ran through the two men as the watched her, holding tight to the wooden rail as she heaved. They glanced at each other, silently arguing over who would go see if she was alright. "Well, I'm positively beat, mate... I'll be headin' off ter bed now..." Jack faked a yawn, stretching dramatically, and Will rolled his eyes. "Wot? Ye said ye weren' goin' t'sleep now anyway!" Sighing, he nodded. "I know, but that doesn't mean I want to play nanny all night..."

"Well, Will, I s'pose it won' matter come mornin', when ye've been playin' nanny all night an' are crawlin' into bed t' sleep all day." Will groaned, but Jack heard none of it, heading off to his cabin. "G'night, Will!" he called, and closed the door behind him.

Nova was sitting on deck, holding her stomach, her knees pulled up to her chest, her skirts spread out around her. Will watched her for a few moments, contemplating an attempt at conversation, and had almost decided against it when he saw Nova try to push herself up, her legs shaking beneath her. He approached her slowly, clearing his throat before he said anything to her. "Miss Nova...?" he questioned, his voice thick with discomfort. She moaned in response, raising her head to look at him. "What do you want? Come to insult me while I'm too sick to argue back?" she spat at him, and it was obviously taking all of her strength to hold herself up. "Actually, I came to see if you required anything..." he said quietly, deciding to neglect the topic of Jack in this conversation. "No, I'm fine... thank you..." she told him, just as her legs gave out beneath her.

Will's reflexes were faster than he had realized, and he caught her in his arms before she hit the deck. "You should be laying down..." he told her, helping her to stand on her own two feet again. Glancing up at him, taken aback by his sudden act, Nova nodded slowly, and allowed him to help her into bed.

Her eyes closed as soon as her head hit the pillow, but she was too shaken to fall back asleep. The scene in the alleyway kept replaying in her head, scaring her so badly that her eyes snapped open every few moments or so, just to make sure that it was nothing more than a memory. She glanced at Will quickly, who was shifting uneasily on the floor, trying to make himself comfortable leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed, his head tilted up towards the ceiling, one arm resting on one raised knee.

Her voice no higher than a whisper, she tried to get his attention. "Mr. Turner....?" she asked, and one eye popped open, staring at her. "What is it...?" he mumbled, sitting up once more as he rubbed his eyes. She too pushed herself up, sitting back against her thin pillow, and he looked at her. "Did you need something?"

She shook her head, looking down at her hands as she folded them in her lap. "No... I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier on this evening..." Inwardly, she really didn't want to apologize, she didn't see that she had done anything wrong. But the awkward silence was murder for her, and she knew she'd be alone on board if she couldn't talk to him at least. Anamaria and Gibbs, along with the rest of the crew, were entirely displeased with her being on board, for whatever reason. Jack would most surely not wish to be alone with her, afraid he would only encourage her feelings for him, and she didn't think she'd want to be alone with him either, for fear she'd do or say something stupid again.

But Will was different - he knew Elizabeth, how she didn't know, but he knew her - back when she was happy, no doubt. She missed that Elizabeth dearly, and it was comforting to know that maybe this other person knew that girl as she had.

Will stared at her thoughtfully, silent for a moment. "You didn't do anything to require an apology, Miss Nova... it's I who owe you the apology." She looked up at him, her eyes shining with bewilderment. "Yes, I said it, I owe you an apology." he said with a chuckle, and she smiled softly, not having the strength for much more. "It's all right... we'll blame it on the rum." She giggled a bit, and he smiled at her - a smile that faded with her next question. "Mr. Turner, how did you know my cousin...?"

He looked back down to the floor, not totally unwilling to answer the question, but in dire need of a moment to think about what to say to her. "Elizabeth... Mrs. Norrington, I should say..." he said, his voice practically bursting at the seams with bitterness and hatred. "She and I..." he trailed off at this, blinking away fiery tears, refusing to let himself cry in the presence of anyone.

"You were betrothed, weren't you..." came Nova's quiet voice from where she sat, and Will barely moved his head in a nod, but it was enough for her to know the full truth. "She... she never told me... a pirate..." Nova was entirely shocked at what had happened. She'd never been so hurt in her whole life. "I don't understand why she didn't mention that..." Will snorted. "I doubt that is the type of conversation one would merely **mention**..." Nova shook her head. "No, you don't understand - we've never kept anything from each other... I knew she wasn't exactly **estatic** about having to marry Norrington, but I thought that was just nerves... and then we got into a fight before I met you that night at the pub, because I told her how **stupid** she had been for choosing him over the other suitor, but it was you, and you're the other suitor, and you're a pirate!"

She was crying by now, her stream of babble choppy and broken. He watched her with an understanding eye, almost to tears himself as he replayed Nova's words in his head while she tried to compose herself.

'...wasn't exactly **estatic** about having to marry Norrington...'

He peered into Nova's eyes, a look of hope on his face. "You say she wasn't happy about marrying him...?" Nova shook her head once more, and Will smiled, his eyes brimming with tears. "And all along, I thought she **hated** me..." he whispered, more to himself than Nova. But she heard him anyway, and looked up at him with her own fair share of tears in her eyes. "How could you think she hated you...? The way she talked about you, she loved you... very much..." Her heart ached for Elizabeth, not understanding why she'd done such a thing - when he talked about her now, it were as though a light was being shone through a dark room. He lit up with happiness and joy, hope and love, and Nova began to think that it was Elizabeth's fault for being so hateful.

Will told her the story, of how she had left him two weeks before the wedding, how he'd drunk himself into a stupor every night that week, how he threw up in the flowerbed at the wedding, and how Jack had offered him a life of piracy as his Quatermaster on board the _Pearl_. Nova listened to him, smiling softly - she remembered hearing someone complain about the mysterious man who had ruined the flowers, but she'd never known it was Elizabeth's beloved Will.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Turner..." Her voice was dripping with sympathy and confusion, and she prayed he understood that she was sincere. Instead, he looked up at her, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve. "Would you mind very much if I asked you to call me Will from now on? Not very man people have ever seen me cry..." he said with a chuckle, and Nova smiled sleepily. "I wouldn't mind one bit..." She held her hand out, and shook his as firmly as she could, with the blisters, and the exhaustion. "It's nice to meet you, Will..." He smiled back up at her. "Same to you, Nova."

They chatted for a little bit longer, until it became a struggle for her to keep her eyes open. She lay back in bed after he left, watching the door close softly behind him, and closed her eyes. She couldn't help but muse that maybe it was in her blood to fall for a pirate - Elizabeth had, and despite what Will had said to her, she still couldn't shake her feelings for Jack. He was too kind to have only friendly intentions for her - or was he?

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w00t! Yet another chapter! I feel like I'm on a roll here or something. Yay! go me! Won't someone review, so I don't feel like all this super hard work is in vein? puppy dog face

Always,  
Heaven Marquin, The Bonnie Pirate Lass


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